If you live in south London and have any doubts about the safety of one of your gas appliances, it is vital to get a gas safety check as soon as possible. This should also be done regularly anyway to ensure all is safe.
While gas remains an effective fuel relied upon by millions, on rare occasions when something goes wrong the results can be devastating.
This might have been the reason behind an explosion at a house in Battersea on August 10th, which led to the partial collapse of the roof of the end terrace on Elsey Road, according to the London Fire Brigade. The brigade’s statement did not confirm whether the explosion was gas related, with the incident still under investigation.
However, gas is the usual cause of such an explosion, rather than a simple fire, because a single spark can cause a leak to erupt into a fireball. If this is what happened, the investigation will be likely to seek to discover what caused an appliance to become unsafe, although the situation can also be caused by a gas ring being turned on but not lit.
Thankfully, there was no report of any fatalities, with one man receiving treatment at the scene for minor injuries. But other incidents have caused deaths.
In March, a man was killed and a house reduced to rubble by a gas explosion in Swansea, which also damaged neighbouring homes and was felt miles away, while last year a woman died in an explosion that destroyed a property in Birmingham.
While such incidents are rare, they show the potential consequences of something going wrong.If you do have an appliance inspected, make sure your engineer is Gas Safe certified. This means they have been fully trained to do the job safely. The same applies if they are fitting or repairing a boiler or any other appliance, ensuring you and your home remain safe.