Crews were called out to a house in Douglas, Isle of Man on 17th April where a carbon monoxide detector had been triggered.

The alarm had been set off by blow back caused by an oil fired Aga cooker. The occupant of the property wasn’t harmed, but the incident highlights the importance of having your Aga cooker serviced.

Oil burners, gas applications, cookers and fireplaces should all be checked regularly to ensure they don’t pose a carbon monoxide poisoning risk and Aga specifically recommend that their cookers undergo an Aga service at least once a year.

It is important to remember that if you’re going to have your Aga cooker serviced by Aga service engineers that you should turn it off 24 hours in advance of the service for an engineer to work on it.

Fire safety officers are also urging anyone with carbon burning appliances in their home to ensure that they have an alarm fitted to detect any potential carbon links.

The legislation, which plans to introduce a compulsory licensing scheme for metal dealers has already suffered a record 11 defeats in the House of Lords already.

Measures to tackle the ever-growing issue have been included in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, which is currently being debated in the House of Commons.

Richard de Bruin has had numerous encounters with metal thieves whilst working as plumbers in London.

“I’ve been a victim of copper theft six times. I have had my van cleared out in three minutes,” he said.

“I used to live in a semi-detached house in Raynes Park and they and they jumped over the fence, into the communal alleyway and stole £400-£500 worth of copper.”

The estimated cost of metal theft to the national economy is currently an estimated £770 million a year and is becoming an increasingly high profile issues, which is clearly affecting plumbers London.

Aubrey Miranda, an engineer in Streatham, says he isn’t surprised the price of copper and other metals is on the rise.

“People underestimate how valuable scrap metal is. A 30m sheet of copper can go for £125.”

Source: SWlondoner

AGA Rangemaster is hoping that at least 50% of its profit can be gained from overseas markets, compared to the 37% last year, as it believes its products are better suited to the international market.

11,000 cast iron cookers were sold in 2011, which was a drop of 6% on the previous year. Despite the latest decline in sales, AGA Rangemaster believe that it can restore cast iron cooker sales to 2007 levels of 19,600.

Despite the fact that the overall sales volume of cookers was only around 62,000 in 2011, a good level of demand from France has fuelled hopes that AGA services will be able to drive export orders up.

AGA has managed to weather a downturn in sales through implementing a range of cost efficiency measures made between 2008 and 2010. Even though revenue dropped by 3% to £250.9 million, operating profits rose from 16% to £18 million, but there are no details on the profit returned from AGA Rayburn servicing.

One step to understand is that you may have to re-prioritise they way you cook. With a conventional cookers, the majority of the cooking process actually takes place on the hobs. However, with an AGA cooker the ovens themselves should be the primary facility.

Cooking on hotplates results in a greater loss of stored heat across the whole of the cooker because the cooker loses significantly more heat with the hob lids up. AGA ovens also perform better compared to other cookers because they cook more evenly and with less of a tendency to dry out the food being cooked.

Another significant factor to consider is that your cooker must have regular AGA services. Without this servicing, your AGA cooker might not be working optimally or it could start to break down without your knowledge.

To have your AGA cooker properly serviced, you must turn it off and allow it to cool down for 24 hours before the engineer arrives, so that they can work on it.

For more information about the full range of our AGA/Rayburn services, contact us on 0208 964 6714 today.

1. If it is a new machine there will be travel bolts in the rear of the appliance. It is very important to remove them all.

2. Disconnect the water supply on old machine there will be a hot and a cold (the water inlet will be slimmer than the waste pipe). On most modern appliances there is only a cold inlet as the washing machines heats up the water its self. To disconnect turn the water off. This is done at the end of the flexi hose.Thumb tap 90 Decrees this will turn the water off. Then you can unscrew the flexi pipe.

3. To disconnect the waste you might need a cap (the waste pipe will be larger in diameter than the water inlet). At the end of the flexi waste pipe can be two different fittings. Either a U-bend if that is the case it can be removed. However it might have a fitting that needs to be un screwed. Once removed go to the plumbing merchants and by a cap to replace the fitting. Otherwise there will be a large hole where smells and wastewater can leak out.

4. Un plug the electrics

For more information on this and our london plumber service, contact our team on 0208 964 6714.

If you have an old boiler (not condensing) it is important to let the boiler circulate at least once a week.  This is to let the pump run and make sure it does not seize up.

The Properties of Asbestos and its Affects on Health

Properties:

Asbestos is the name given to a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals. It can come in several types, however the following are the most common types used within industry:

• Chrysotile (White)
• Crocidolite (Blue)
• Amosite (Brown)

The groups of asbestos fibres differ in their mechanical and chemical properties. The different types of asbestos can be found on their own or as a mixture with any other of the fibres. They cannot usually be identified by their colour alone. Where asbestos is affected by heat and chemicals or is combined with other substances, its colour and appearance can easily change.

The supply, importation and use of blue and brown asbestos was totally banned within the U.K. in 1985, with a general ban on white asbestos following in 1999 (there were slight exceptions for the specialist use of white asbestos, however a total ban came on 01/01/2005).

Work with asbestos can release small fibres into the air. Although the body will get rid of most of the larger fibres that can enter the nose and mouth, tiny fibres can pass into the lower parts of the lung. They can stay there for years and in some cases work their way through the lung lining. The body naturally gets rid of any asbestos fibres that you might take in with food and water. Asbestos fibres cannot be absorbed through your skin.

Health Affects:

Breathing in asbestos fibres can eventually lead to a number of fatal diseases/conditions:

• Pleural Plaques

• Diffuse Pleural Thickening

• Asbestosis
• Lung Cancer

• Mesothelioma
• Cancers at other sites.

Working with asbestos can lead to an increased risk of developing lung cancer. Smoking can increase this risk further. These two risk factors combined appear to have an effect that is greater than the sum of the individual increases of risk from smoking or asbestos exposure alone. Ex-smokers have been shown to be at a significantly lower excess risk than current smokers.

There are no known cures for asbestos-related diseases and they will generally appear many years after first exposure, which can vary between 15 and 60 years. The symptoms may include:

• Shortness of breath
• A cough or a change in cough pattern

• Blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up from the lungs
• Pain in the chest or abdomen
• Difficultyin swallowing or prolonged hoarseness and or
• Significant weight loss

There are approximately 3500 deaths a year due to asbestos related diseases.

If asbestos containing material is intact and in a position where it cannot easily be damaged, it will not pose a risk to health by releasing fibres into the air.

Many of the people currently suffering from asbestos related diseases formally worked in the building trade. They were exposed to asbestos fibres in their day to day work with asbestos containing materials or because work with asbestos was carried out near them. Therefore, take note of the following guidance and take the necessary action if you suspect that you are working on or near asbestos containing materials.

The Types, Uses and likely Occurrence of Asbestos and ACM’s in Buildings and Plant

Although asbestos should have not been used as a new building material in any form since at least 1999, many thousands of tonnes of it were used in buildings in the past. A large amount of asbestos is still out there and you cannot easily identify it from its appearance.

Asbestos is likely to be in a building if:

• It was built or refurbished between 1950 and 1980 and particularly;

• If it also has a steel frame; and/or

• It has boilers with thermal insulation.

But you also need to bear in mind that asbestos cement has also been widely used as a building material since the 1950’s.

Some ACMs are more vulnerable to damage and more likely to give off fibres than others. In general, the materials which contain a high percentage of asbestos are more easily damaged. The list below is roughly in order of ease of fibre release (with the highest potential fibre release first).

Sprayed coatings, lagging and insulating board are more likely to contain blue or brown asbestos. Asbestos insulation and lagging can contain up to 85% asbestos and are most likely to give off fibres. Work with asbestos insulating board can result in equally high fibre release if power tools are used.

On the other hand, asbestos cement contains only 10%-15% asbestos. The asbestos is tightly bound into the cement and the material will only give off fibres if it is
badly damaged or broken.

You are most likely to come across asbestos in these materials:

• sprayed asbestos and asbestos loose packing – generally used as fire breaks in ceiling voids;
• moulded or preformed lagging – generally used in thermal insulation of pipes and boilers;
• sprayed asbestos – generally used as fire protection in ducts, firebreaks, panels, partitions, soffit boards, ceiling panels an around structural steel work;
• insulating boards used for fire protection, thermal insulation, partitioning and ducts;
• some ceiling tiles;
• millboard, paper and paper products used for insulation of electrical equipment. Asbestos paper has also been used as a fire-proof facing on wood fibreboard;
• asbestos cement products, which can be fully or semi-compressed into flat or corrugated sheets. Corrugated sheets are largely used as roofing and wall cladding. Other asbestos cement products include gutters, rainwater pipes and water tanks;
• certain textured coatings;
• bitumen roofing material; and
• vinyl or thermoplastic floor tiles.

Remember, although these are the most likely uses and places where asbestos will be found, asbestos was used in many other materials. If you are in doubt, it is safer to presume that a material contains asbestos, unless there is strong evidence that it does not.

The General Procedures to be Followed to Deal with an Emergency e.g. an uncontrolled release of asbestos dust into the workplace

In any circumstance where there is an accidental discovery or uncontrolled release of asbestos into the workplace then measures, including emergency procedures, should be in place to limit exposure and the risks to health. Such procedures should include means to raise the alarm and procedures for evacuation, which should be tested and practised at regular intervals. The cause of the uncontrolled release should be identified, and adequate control regained as soon as possible.

The following steps should be followed if an un-damaged asbestos containing material is discovered during a working process:

Procedure 1

1. Discover ACM, stop work immediately
2. Keep everyone else out of the work area
3. Report problem to the person in charge as soon as possible
4. Put up a warning sign ‘possible asbestos contamination’

However if you discover an ACM in a bad condition or actually damage the ACM during the work activity, the following procedures will need to be followed:

Procedure 2

1. Discover damaged ACM, stop work immediately
2. Keep everyone else out of the work area
3. Is there dust or debris on clothing (if no, follow procedure 1)
4. Remove the clothing and put it into a plastic bag
5. Try to wash thoroughly straight away or if the facilities are provided take a shower
6. Leave the washing facilities clean
7. Report the problem to the person in charge as soon as possible
8. Put up a warning sign ‘possible asbestos contamination’

Step 3 of Procedure 1 and step 7 of Procedure 2 will require that you contact the site foreman as soon as possible. The site foreman will then contact head office and the site contact to inform them of the discovery and the procedures that had been followed. Head office will then arrange with the client to arrange for a sample to be analysed and the work area to be cleaned up if necessary. No-one will be allowed to re-enter the contaminated area for any reason until a clearance/re-occupation certificate has been issued to the client by the appropriate asbestos analysing/air monitoring company.

How to Avoid Risks from Asbestos

There are some simple procedures to be followed in order to help reduce the risk of employees coming into contact with asbestos. Owners and occupiers of non-domestic premises, who have maintenance and repair responsibilities for those premises, have a duty under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 to assess the premises for the presence of asbestos and the condition of that asbestos (this duty has been enforced since 21st November 2004 under the CAW 2002).

Where asbestos is present the dutyholder must ensure that the risk from the asbestos is assessed, that a written plan identifying where that asbestos is located is prepared and that measures to manage the risk from the asbestos are set out in that plan and are implemented.

If the non-domestic premise does contain asbestos containing materials there is no legal requirement for the asbestos to be removed. The owner/occupier will need to assess the condition of the product and then decide whether they will remove it or whether it will stay in place. If the ACM does stay in place the duty holder will need to ensure that it is either in a good condition or alternatively arrange for the product to be enclosed/sealed/encapsulated or repaired.

Therefore, before any work takes place on site, the site foreman or senior operative will request to see the Asbestos register for that site (please note, not all sites will have a register, please see section 1 below). The register will provide information on the location and condition of any asbestos containing material on that site. If the register details that asbestos containing material is present in the area that you are scheduled to work in, the site foreman/senior operative will contact head office for further confirmation on whether the work is to continue or whether alterations are to be made to the safe systems of work which were to be followed.

Section 1

Not all sites will have an asbestos register, this could be the case in a number of situations;

1. The site is too young for it to contain asbestos e.g. it was built after 1999,
2. The building will obviously not contain asbestos e.g. a steel built industrial unit
3. The site itself has had all asbestos removed.

If a site falls under category 1 or 2, please err on the side of caution. There could be situations where a building contractor may have installed ACM’s that they still had in stock. Therefore, if you do come across a suspect material, follow procedures 1 or 2.

If a site falls under situation 3, ask for written confirmation/evidence that the asbestos has been removed by a licensed contractor.

Conclusion

All exposures to asbestos should be avoided, however, that does not mean that you should necessarily worry about a one-off exposure. From time to time, accidental exposures to asbestos may occur and can be a cause of much concern and distress to the individuals concerned. Your risk of developing an asbestos-related disease depends how much asbestos you are exposed to, for how long and on how many different occasions. A one-off short-term exposure is unlikely to be of concern, but each time you are exposed, the risk increases a little bit more. Think of this like smoking. The more times you smoke, the greater your risk of developing cancer.

If in doubt:

STOP WORK, CLOSE AREA OFF and NOTIFY PERSON IN CHARGE.

Completion of Training

In order to be sure that you have all seen and understood this, you must sign and date the relevant check list that covers our annual Health and  Safety review.

There are strict rules about the amount of gas required for every appliance. If there is not enough gas available for the requirements of the appliance then the appliance could be dangerous.

It is usually possible to do a rough calculation to establish whether there will be enough gas for the appliances that will be connected. However, this can never be definitive especially when pipes are concealed etc.

Unfortunately it is impossible to test that the correct amount gas needed for the appliance to burn correctly without having the appliance connected.

If when the final commissioning checks are carried out and there is not enough gas, then the appliance fails. It will then require that the pipework be adapted or re-run so that enough gas is delivered to all the appliances working off that meter.

Re-running the gas piping to an existing appliance can lead to considerable disruption and cost.

It is also very important to vent the radiators to make sure no air has entered the system and to keep an eye on the pressure this should be in the green or around 1.2 bar of your pressure gauge. At the end of each winter go around all the thermostatic radiator valves and turn them all on.

You can then control the heating if you need it from the main room thermostat. This will mean that next winter none of the valves will stick.

Please phone us for any queries or help on anything 24 hours a day on 0208 964 6714