GISG Calls for Further Questions to be Added to Home Information Packs To Help Boost Safety Awareness
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 4:06PM New questions need to be added to Home Information Pack (HIP) to improve gas safety according to the Gas Industry Safety Group (GISG).
Commenting after the inclusion of two new questions in latest version of the pack launched this month which tackle the servicing of central heating and the wiring of a property, GISG believes additional questions on safety could help save lives.
Chris Bielby, Chairman of GISG, said: “GISG responded to last year’s Communities & Local Government stakeholder consultation on HIPs and I am delighted to see that the GISG proposals relating to gas and electric safety checks will feature in the future HIP questionnaire. This will, no doubt, prompt an improvement in safety in customer’s homes and highlight the need to have professionally registered engineers undertake gas and electric work.”
“However, inclusion of additional appropriately worded questions concerning Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms and chimneys would act as safety prompts. These questions might seem simple but could make a real difference to raising awareness and lead to a potential reduction in Carbon Monoxide poisonings.“
ENDS
For more information contact David Southwell at GISG on 020 7706 5157.
Notes to editors
A consultation on the Home Information Pack (HIP) was launched in July 2008 by Communities & Local Government inviting responses from interested stakeholders.
Further Information:
A summary of the consultation responses can be found by following the below link: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/improvingconsumerinformation.pdf
More information on the change can be found on the Communities & Local Government website: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/buyingandsellingguide
The Gas Industry Safety Group - GISG - brings the principal organisations in the UK industry together to promote gas safety. Our industry has an excellent safety record. However, the rapid transition to a fully open and competitive structure, with many new participants and an ongoing process of further change, presents fresh challenges in order to maintain the highest safety standards. Formed in 2000, GISG aims to promote gas safety by improving co-operation amongst the industry players, dissemination of best practice and providing a forum for them to address safety issues collectively.