Getting into a tizz about this, WWYD?

[FragrantLady]

I live in a Housing Association house. They are due and need to do the annual gas appliance servicing. I have health problems, I get the flu jab, i consider myself in the vulnerable group but not had a shielding letter but have in effect been staying isolated in the house.

I DO NOT want a stranger in my home. He would be in very room in order to do the servicing, we could not stay 2m apart due to the size of the rooms and then the whole house would need disinfecting. I am soo worried about this. The longest the HA will put this off is the middle of June as the Gov guidelines about sheilding run out then.

This is really worrying me what can I do?

[ComtesseDeSpair]

The HSE’s guidance is that flexibility is permitted and landlords must show that they took all reasonable steps to carry out their legal duty of obtaining a gas safety certificate. For this reason they’ll need to have communication records showing that you refused permission for them to carry it out, which is why they’ll keep persisting in trying to arrange it. Outline here: www.gassaferegister.co.uk/help-and-advice/covid-19-advice-and-guidance/landlords/

The engineer can easily minimise transmission risk and ensure social distancing by wearing PPE and you being in another room during the service. If you aren’t in the shielded group (and even if you are, to be honest) then I’d be more concerned about the lethality of a faulty gas appliance than the relatively small risk of catching Coronavirus in this particular situation.

[hopeishere]

Honestly the whole house would not need disinfecting. Unless he's coughing and sneezing all over the place.

[FurForksSake]

I understand you are worried and that must feel very unpleasant. I would go out while the person is there, ask that they wear PPE and then when you return (could just stand outside, sit outside, they don't take long) open the windows and wipe surfaces. That would be overkill, but should make you feel safe enough. You could open all the windows with your face covered and then sit outside for another hour to feel even safer?

[Greywind1523]

I’d say the risk from a potentially faulty gas appliance is more concerning than a contractor in PPE coming to do a Gas Safe check. It doesn’t take long at all. You could go in another room and make sure all doors are open so he doesn’t have to touch any handles.

Give them a call to confirm what measures are being taken by their contractors. I know someone that had theirs done last week and the guy was in full PPE - suit, gloves, mask. He cleaned all his tools as he left the property as well.

[SeriouslySoDoneIn]

If you refuse entry three visits in a row they’re legally entitled to break into your home to perform the gas safety check (missed mine 3 times in a row due to them refusing to rearrange and me being unable to take the days off work), got a letter out saying “next appointment is this date, if no entry is granted we will be forcing entry.”

They legally have to do the gas safety inspection, they can’t indefinitely put it off as if something goes wrong and it’s not been done they are liable.

[AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii]

My HA phoned me prior and asked if I would be ok with this, asked if any symptoms or if isolating. No issues, he had full ppe I left all doors open for him and stayed in another room, thank god he came when he did as there was a pipe needing replaced desperately

[okiedokieme]

Why can't you be in another room or go out? Faulty gas appliances kill

[TemoraryUsername]

Ask them to wear a mask (and wear one yourself) and ask them to wash their hands immediately on arrival. Go outside while he is there, and clean anything he has touched with soapy water afterwards. Try not to get yourself into a state about it xxx

[DarkMintChocolate]

As a plumber found our gas boiler had a hole in the flue, and was feeding the fumes back into the kitchen, we may well have suffered low level carbon monoxide poisoning for months!

A lawyer friend tells us, had it been in a bedroom, someone could have died; and we could have long term damage from it!

As it was, DH cooked a roast dinner one Sunday - that night, he was staggering about, confused and nearly fell over! He thought he was having a stroke, and nearly called 111. In fact, we had already spoken to them about breathlessness; and DH his GP about headaches and breathlessness! The only advice was to go to A & E if it got acute! (Nobody would see us as it’s a symptom of the corona virus!)

Some things are more dangerous than the corona virus (and two of us are vulnerable in this house)!

[Beebers111]

@FragrantLady my husband is an electrician and there has been a new legislation put in place that all rental properties must have a certificate by 1st July.

He has been doing the following,
Wearing a mask and gloves (changing from property to property)
Disinfecting everything he touches as he goes
Asking customers to wait in other room.

He has had one flat refusal and has got that in writing and fed back to the landlord.

Ensure you make it clear that if the plumber turns up and isn’t wearing mask, gloves etc you won’t let him in.

[Samtsirch]

We had a similar check.
He wore mask and gloves and took 10 mins max, no paperwork involved, as is usually the case.
We left the house to walk the dog around the block while he was working.
The council/ HA have been advised to continue with necessary gas/ health and safety procedures.

[Edintink1]

I would let them in, faulty gas appliances can kill. Stay in a separate room with the windows open.

[FragrantLady]

Thanks everyone, am I overreacting then? They usually take an hour or two, checking and cleaning out the fire, checking flue, boiler, gas meter, oven and checking all the fire alarms, so all around the house. I do not want to go out for that length of time.

I might have to just find out if they are going to be wearing a mask, gloves, etc.

[TemoraryUsername]

I think you are slightly overreacting, but it's good to be alert and take sensible precautions.

Can you for example get some gloves and a couple of masks in advance? I would happily post you a couple of pairs of gloves if supply is a problem., and fabric reusable masks (straight into soapy washing up liquid and water after use) are better than nothing and available widely now. Make a clear plan in advance of where you will be when he is in which room and communicate it clearly and firmly to him/her when they arrive. If it gets to a point where you have to swap ends if the house, get them to call you when they want to and go outside one at a time before coming back in. Obviously you can not offer a hot drink like you might normally. You could give him a dettol and cloth or soapy water and cloth and ask him to wipe where he's touched as he goes, and then have a more thorough clean after he has gone. But overall try to remember it's one person for a few hours, the likelihood of him both having it and being contagious before showing any symptoms is low. Xx

[FragrantLady]

TemoraryUsername

Aw thanks for the kind offer but DH has got some masks and gloves and he has said he is going to take the morning off work when they come to help clean up and supervise everything and I can stay in another room out of the way, bless him, he is an angel. BUT I do not want him to get it ! He has no health probs but is male and in his 50s, not overweight tho so maybe not as much at risk.