Gas, oil and solid fuel safety policy
Introduction
At Magna, we’re committed to ensuring the safety of our customers, colleagues and others who work with us.
This policy sets out our gas, oil and solid fuel safety standards and procedures, to make sure we meet all legal and regulatory requirements.
Who this policy applies to and what it covers
This policy applies to:
- All homes being built where we’re responsible for the installation and/or commissioning.
- The installation, servicing and maintenance in all homes where we’re responsible for the repairs and maintenance. This excludes shared ownership homes and other leases.
- Offices and commercial buildings that we own or manage and have serviceable appliances.
- All colleagues, contractors and suppliers carrying out repairs and maintenance on our behalf.
Our Gas, Oil and Solid Fuel Safety Policy
The safety of our customers, colleagues and contractors is at the heart of what we do. We’re committed to ensuring that our gas, oil and solid fuel safety management activities meet legal and regulatory requirements and achieve our Regulator’s Consumer Standard. We strive to achieve what is considered to be industry best practice.
We’re committed to ensuring that everyone involved in managing electrical safety at Magna demonstrate the appropriate competency levels and, where necessary, third-party accreditation. We follow the Health & Safety Executive’s (HSE) Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs) and ensure all industry best practice guidance is properly considered.
We take all reasonable measures to carry out annual safety checks on all gas, oil and solid fuel appliances installed by us as, well as those identified as tenant-owned appliances in our customers’ homes.
We take all reasonable measures to maintain installations, appliances and associated flues that we are responsible for, making sure they are in a safe condition. This will include routine servicing and any repairs required. We will not service, repair or replace tenant-owned appliances.
We’re committed to ensuring gas, oil and solid fuel safety when building our new homes, considering it at the early stages of design, in the construction phase and in the management and maintenance of our homes.
We’ll consult with customers on gas, oil and solid fuel safety related activities, inform them about the outcome of assessments, ensure awareness, provide advice and listen and respond to any safety concerns.
The safety of our customers is paramount. We’ll ensure that resources and funding required to deliver gas, oil and solid fuel safety works are prioritised, taking into account a risk-based approach to the urgency of the work.
We’ll ensure that performance on gas, oil and solid fuel safety activity is regularly scrutinised to ensure continuous improvement and to ensure that any lessons learnt are embedded.
Every room fitted with a gas point, combustible fuel appliance, or where a flue passes through, will have either a sealed 10-year battery life or mains powered audible Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector.
We will install specialist CO detection for customers with specific needs when required.
Competency
All suppliers carrying out gas safety checks and servicing must be registered on the Gas Safe Register. Contractors carrying out oil safety checks and servicing must be registered on the Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC) Register and those carrying out solid fuel checks and servicing must be registered on the Heating Equipment Testing and Approval Scheme (HETAS) Register. All suppliers’ employees must be suitably qualified.
Gas safety records
Following the annual gas safety check, we will provide each household with a current, valid, annual Landlord’s Gas Safety Record for the type of appliance(s) fitted. When a home is re-let, we’ll provide new records when the customer moves in.
We’ll install and/or check and/or replace CO detectors during any annual services we carry out and whenever a new or replacement fuel appliance is installed. The check will be recorded on the service record.
Gaining access for gas, oil and solid fuel safety checks
Tenancy agreements state that tenants must provide access to their home for checks that we’re required to do by law.
We’ll act appropriately and in accordance with regulatory and legal requirements in gaining access to carry out gas, oil and solid fuel safety checks. We will consider the circumstances before initiating legal action against a tenant who fails to allow access for this purpose. We’ll maintain records of all access attempts to demonstrate that we’ve taken all reasonable steps to complete a service check, in line with our procedures.
Where we’re unable to gain access for a gas, oil and solid fuel safety check, we’ll make every attempt to gain access, including seeking to obtain an injunction from the local county court, or forcing entry. Where meters are located externally, we may cap these. An order for costs may be sought as part of any injunction.
Our Gas Safety Standard and Procedure
We want to make sure that we’re really clear about the standards we are working to when it comes to gas safety management. We have developed a Gas Safety Standard, which defines what we’ll do to promote gas safety. The standard explains who is responsible for delivering the service and how frequently we will carry out specific activities in customers’ homes, in communal areas and on our estates.
The standard is supported by a clear procedure and instructions to ensure that the services are delivered consistently by our colleagues and specialist contractors. The standard and procedure are kept under constant review to ensure they are fit for purpose in a fast-changing environment.
Responsibilities for Gas Safety Management
The Director of Customer Operations is accountable for all aspects of gas safety management at Magna and is responsible for the development and review of the Gas Safety Policy and Gas Safety Standard annually, ensuring that these meet all regulatory requirements and guidance.
The Head of Building Safety, Compliance and Home Services is responsible for operational delivery of gas safety management activities, maintaining accurate gas safety data and for reporting on gas safety management in line with governance arrangements. They’re also responsible for ensuring that customers are effectively consulted on all aspects of gas safety in their homes and estates.
All colleagues are responsible for ensuring that the work they carry out meets our policies and standards.
This policy will be considered and approved annually by our Strategic Board.
A range of performance measures and indicators, relating directly to the Gas Safety Standard, will be agreed and reported to managers and directors as appropriate. High level performance indicators will be reported to Strategic Board on a regular basis.
Our performance on gas safety, including lessons learned from incidents will form part of the quarterly report to the Health and Safety Forum and will be included in the annual report to Strategic Board on corporate health and safety.