Gas Safe Register, in conjunction with the Health and Safety Executive, has clarified the expectations of landlords and their compliance position during the COVID-19 outbreak.

In the event that landlords are unable to carry out their gas servicing program as normal, it is advised that they carry out a risk assessment in order to prioritise jobs. The guidance states that landlords should take the following into consideration:

•       The age and types of appliances
•       Previous maintenance/work carried out
•       Breakdown history
•       The presence of CO alarms
•       If the tenant is considered vulnerable

We spoke to Lee Bradshaw, managing director at specialist auditors, Morgan Lambert, to find out how Gas Tag clients can use the data on the Gas Tag portal to help inform their decision making. 

Lee said: “The Gas Tag Portal can help landlords instantly access the information they need to prioritise their gas servicing should they be struggling to carry out the work as planned.  

“For example, we would expect to see landlords looking in detail at the work carried out over the previous 12 months. This would include when the boiler was last serviced and what safety checks were carried out, as well as the repairs and breakdown history. 

In terms of CO alarms, it is a legal requirement that private landlords have them installed in any room where there is a solid fuel appliance. However, many landlords we work with fit them regardless in line with L56 guidance which we fully endorse. 

CO alarms are listed as assets on the Gas Tag Portal, so users can instantly see where they have them installed. If a property doesn’t currently have an alarm, this could be something that is quickly resolved by another part of your workforce leaving your Gas Safe Registered engineers to prioritise carrying out annual inspections. 

It is important that landlords look at all of this information before making any decisions and work closely with their colleagues to ensure they have a full understanding of each individual property.  

All of the data to inform these complex decisions is easily available to Gas Tag clients, allowing them to make informed decisions and carry out their own risk assessments.”