Gas Safety Week: A Fatal Reminder of Why Competent Gas Work Matters

Gas Safety Week 2026 runs from 14 to 20 September. It solidifies the position of gas safety as one of the ‘Big Six’ property compliance areas in the UK and provides an opportunity to remind landlords, property managers, homeowners and businesses about the importance of safe gas appliances and competent gas work.

This year’s campaign comes shortly after a tragic incident in Buckinghamshire.

On 9 August, a suspected gas explosion destroyed a bungalow on Cobb Hall Road in Newton Longville, near Milton Keynes. Steve Woodward suffered serious injuries in the blast and sadly died several days later.

The incident also created an additional hazard. Investigators found asbestos within debris from the destroyed property. Buckinghamshire Council subsequently warned local residents about the potential asbestos risk and advised precautions when cleaning items that may have been affected.

Gas appliances should only be installed, maintained, repaired or checked by a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.

Gas appliances should be serviced regularly by Gas Safe engineers

Gas safety starts with using the right people. The HSE states that gas work must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer with the appropriate competence for the work involved.

Before allowing anyone to install, maintain, repair or check a gas appliance, verify their Gas Safe registration and confirm that they hold the relevant competence.

Regular servicing also plays an important role. The HSE recommends servicing gas appliances and flues according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Where no servicing interval exists, HSE recommends annual servicing unless a Gas Safe registered engineer advises otherwise.

An annual gas safety check does not necessarily replace a service. A safety check assesses whether an appliance and its associated gas installation meet the required safety standards, while servicing provides an opportunity to identify maintenance issues and potential defects.

Use a suitably qualified Gas Safe engineer, keep appliances properly serviced and never assume that someone who can carry out general maintenance can also safely work on gas.

What does gas safety have to do with asbestos?

The Newton Longville explosion also highlights a less obvious consequence for property managers; when a building suffers a major fire, explosion or structural collapse, materials within the building can become damaged and dispersed.

If the building contains asbestos-containing materials (ACMs), those materials are likely to also become part of the debris.

The BBC reported the discovery of asbestos in debris around the Newton Longville site. The presence of asbestos within a building does not necessarily mean that an incident will release fibres – however, significant damage may change the condition, surface treatment and accessibility of ACMs.

Older buildings can contain asbestos in many different forms. Potential examples include:

• Soffits and other building envelope elements.
• Ceiling tiles and boards.
• Partition wall materials.
• Floor coverings.
• Fire protection installations.
• Electrical or service enclosures.
• Flues and ducts.
• Water tanks and associated components.
• Roof coverings and many other building products.

These are examples only; their presence cannot be confirmed without competent inspection, sampling, and analysis.

Could your Asbestos Management Plan account for an explosion?

This incident raises an uncomfortable question for those responsible for managing asbestos:

How well does our current approach to managing ACMs account for an event that nobody expects to happen?

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 require dutyholders to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises. In practice, this often means identifying ACMs, recording their locations and condition, communicating the information and preventing accidental disturbance. Most asbestos management systems focus on foreseeable activities – a contractor needs to drill a fixing into a wall; a maintenance worker needs to access a ceiling void; a refurbishment project needs to remove a partition etc. These activities may feature clearly within an asbestos management plan.

A major explosion presents a very different scenario, however. An unexpected event can damage the building itself and disrupt the controls that normally keep ACMs safely in place. These may include vehicle collisions, structural movement, or other unforeseen damage.

That does not mean that every asbestos-containing material requires removal. HSE guidance recognises that asbestos can remain safely in place where Dutyholders manage it effectively.

However, the Emergency Planning section of your Asbestos Management Plan should consider what happens when the building no longer looks anything like it did when the asbestos survey took place, or where ACMs have been damaged to the extent that they have spread around the premises.

What should property managers consider?

Gas Safety Week provides a useful prompt to review both gas and asbestos arrangements.

For gas safety, check the HSE guidance webpages and consider whether:

• Gas appliances receive appropriate servicing.
• Gas safety checks take place when required.
• Contractors hold appropriate Gas Safe registration and competence.
• Records remain current.
• Defects receive prompt attention.
• Staff and residents know how to report concerns.

For asbestos management, consider whether:

• Your asbestos register remains accurate.
• Your asbestos survey information covers relevant areas.
• Reinspections take place at appropriate intervals.
• Contractors can access asbestos information quickly.
• Your Asbestos Management Plan includes emergency arrangements.
• You know who to contact and what the procedure is if an incident damages a building containing ACMs.

Gas Safety Week is about more than boilers

The Newton Longville explosion is a tragic reminder of why gas safety matters.

A gas appliance can provide essential heating and hot water for a building. However, gas systems require competent installation, maintenance and inspection – the consequences of getting it wrong can extend far beyond the appliance itself.

This Gas Safety Week, make sure your gas appliances receive appropriate servicing and checks. Always use a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer for gas work.

The incident also demonstrates how an unexpected event can create secondary risks. If an explosion, fire or structural collapse damages a building where asbestos may be present, do not assume that your existing asbestos controls still apply unchanged.

Casa Environmental Services provides asbestos surveying, reinspections, air monitoring, asbestos management plans and specialist support following asbestos-related incidents. If you need advice on managing asbestos within your property, contact us to discuss your requirements.