When it comes to carbon monoxide (CO), there are some scary facts out there. According to Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) 9 people have been killed in Victoria by carbon monoxide poisoning in the past decade alone.
The most frightening part of this is that the deadly gas responsible is colourless, odourless and virtually undetectable without the proper equipment – which is exactly why is it often referred to as ‘the silent killer’. Technically, carbon monoxide is a by-product of the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. In the home environment, carbon monoxide is produced by faulty gas appliances, often caused by a lack of, or improper servicing.
The legislation with regard to gas and electrical servicing is clear. The Residential Tenancies Act (1997) section (68) states that “A landlord must ensure that the rented premises are maintained in good repair.”
This includes gas appliances provided by the landlord.
Furthermore, Energy Safe Victoria states “Failure to ensure gas and electric appliances are properly installed or correctly maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions could not only potentially kill or harm the tenants, but could cause significant property damage and expose the landlord to civil liability and potentially costly litigation. There might also be unintended impacts on the landlord’s insurance if injury or damage is found to have been caused by poorly serviced or unsafe appliances.”
Visiting over 250,000 properties in the past year across 6 states and territories, Detector Inspector partners with property managers to provide smoke alarm, gas and electrical safety services, corded blind compliance checks and a range of further services to make homes safer for tenants and compliance simpler for landlords.
Our gas services are carried out by a gas fitter with Type A Servicing accreditation, supported by our advanced workflow technology that ensures the service is completed in accordance with all applicable standards, codes and legislation.
The combination of state-of-the-art carbon monoxide testing equipment, specialised industry knowledge and comprehensive reporting means you can rest assured that tenants lives are kept safe, landlord’s properties are secure and you remain compliant with legislation and protected from potential litigation.
For further information visit the ESV’s gas safety at home page.
