British Gas Business is rewarding SME customers by offering a boiler service at no extra cost when they renew their fixed term gas supply.
This comes as an independent study from British Gas Business* by Atomik Research shows sixty-three percent of small business owners are still not familiar with gas safety legislation. This is despite the fact that carbon monoxide exposure in the workplace has been regulated since 2002.
The new reward and research findings have been released in the run up to Gas Safety Week, to highlight the continued lack of awareness from small businesses about gas safety legislation and how simple it can be to comply and avoid the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The study found that while the law requires businesses to undertake boiler safety checks every 12 months, nearly four in ten (35%) business owners admitted they don’t adhere to this frequency. Reasons for this included not realising the time was up, limited awareness of the requirements or a need to save money.
Aside from the potentially devastating health impacts of carbon monoxide poisoning on employees, there are reputational and financial risks for businesses if they are found to be in contravention of gas safety laws. Half the business owners surveyed acknowledged that customers may see them as incompetent, while 45% realised that customers may feel they are un-compliant in other areas. More than two thirds (69%) of those surveyed were aware non-compliance risks a fine, but 34% admitted they are still not very familiar or have no idea how to be compliant with the law.
British Gas Director of Business Services, Andy Farr, commented: “A business has a legal and personal obligation to protect its employees and customers. It’s important all small businesses make gas safety a priority.”
In support of Gas Safety Week (18-24 September 2017), British Gas Business has provided best -practice advice on how businesses can stay “gas safe”.
