THIS week is Gas Safety Week and residents in Dorset are being urged to take care of their gas appliances.

Purbeck District Council is among the local authorities supporting the annual campaign, which is co-ordinated by the Gas Safety Register – the only official list of gas engineers who are legally allowed to work on gas boilers, gas cookers and gas fires.

By law, all gas engineers must be on the Gas Safe Register; it replaced CORGI. Top tips from the UK’s official gas registration body include only using a Gas Safe registered engineer, making sure gas appliances have a regular service and a gas safety check every 12 months and look out for warning signs that your gas appliances are not working correctly such as lazy yellow or orange flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks on or around the appliance and too much condensation in the room.

Residents should also know the signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness - and install an audible carbon monoxide alarm.

If you smell gas, call the gas emergency number on 0800 111 999.

For more advice visit gassaferegister.co.uk or call the free helpline on 0800 408 5500.