Coronavirus: Gas safety tests 'an unnecessary risk' in homes
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Engineer Nic Pearse started an online petition calling for inspections to be suspended
There are calls for gas safety checks in rental homes to be halted during the pandemic because of the "unnecessary risk" of spreading coronavirus.
Annual gas safety inspections are a legal requirement for landlords and are carried out by registered engineers.
Some engineers have said the tests should be suspended in the same way car MOTs have been given a six-month reprieve.
But the government said a suspension would put "tenants at risk".
Engineer Nic Pearse, 39, from County Durham, started an online petition three weeks ago calling for a delay. It has received more than 14,000 signatures.
He believes going into a tenant's home while restrictions are in place, external "doesn't make sense".
Mr Pearse said: "It feels like an unnecessary risk. The risk of going into homes outweighs the potential risk of a faulty appliance."
Landlords can face prosecution if a tenant is hurt or killed owing to a gas leak or explosion
Garry Lamping, 63, an engineer from Hessle, East Yorkshire, wants inspections to be paused for "three months at most".
"If they can stop MOTs for six months, why can't they do that with gas inspections?
"We need clear guidance."
Mr Lamping said he would normally carry out 12 inspections a day but a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) has forced him to stop work.
"I've got gloves but I don't have a respirator mask.
"How can engineers go into properties with the risk of spreading this virus?"
Garry Lamping says he stopped work during the lockdown to "help prevent the transfer of the virus" and keep others, himself and his family safe
Self-employed Paul, who asked not to be named in full, said he had no choice but to continue working for fear of losing his business.
The Hull-based engineer said some tenants were "welcoming us in" and not observing social distancing.
"You're touching door handles, switches, work surfaces, a lot of things," he said.
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) said it was discussing the issue with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
Policy director Chris Norris said some landlords were "very worried" and asked for "leeway" but had "not received the warmest response".
HSE says the law "is flexible and where it is not possible to carry out a gas safety check, it will normally be enough to show that you took reasonable steps to do so"
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said: "We recognise the difficulties landlords and gas engineers face amid these extraordinary circumstances and we're seeking to enforce compliance in a proportionate way."
While acknowledging safety is "critical", the HSE believes "a balance can be achieved" between protecting tenants and limiting the spread of Covid-19.
Gas registration body Gas Safe said it understood engineers' concerns and advised them to follow HSE guidance.
The MHCLG added all trades people "must follow" Public Health England's guidelines to prevent the virus spreading.
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- Published25 March 2020
