Uzbekistan's Emergency Situations Ministry urged checking stoves and gas equipment ahead of the heating season

Safety measures ahead of the cold season

As air temperatures gradually drop, the need to heat residential homes and other facilities grows, and residents of Uzbekistan must observe safety measures during the heating season. This is reported by UzNews.uz citing Odil Kuldashev, head of the Emergency Situations Ministry (MChS) department. According to him, the first step is to check the condition of heating stoves and gas equipment in homes: make sure that chimneys, flue pipes and ventilation systems are not clogged, since after the end of the previous season they may have gone unchecked for a long time.

What is prohibited

The Emergency Situations Ministry listed a number of prohibitions. It is forbidden to use equipment without a certificate of conformity, appliances previously taken out of service due to malfunctions, as well as stoves whose design has been altered without authorization. Malfunctions in gas equipment and stoves should not be fixed independently, nor should uncertified, unqualified and inexperienced handymen be hired — repairs must be carried out by specialists of gas and electricity supply organizations. Heating stoves and electric and gas appliances must not be left unattended; rooms should be regularly ventilated, and heating equipment switched off overnight. With the start of the season it is also forbidden to use the ventilation ducts of apartment buildings as chimneys for heating stoves or to block or close them. When using natural and liquefied gas and other alternative fuels, safety requirements must be strictly observed.

Requirements for institutions and boiler rooms

Separate duties are assigned to the heads and responsible persons of social institutions and construction sites where people stay overnight: they are obliged to take all necessary measures to heat buildings safely. Particular attention should be paid to boiler rooms — only specialists may service them, those who have completed training at special courses. The Emergency Situations Ministry urged strict compliance with specialists' recommendations on preventing carbon monoxide poisoning, gas flashes and fires, published on official internet resources, social networks and other media.

Context

The publication is a seasonal warning: no specific incidents, poisoning or fire statistics are cited in the material, so the scale of the risks cannot be assessed from these data. The practical point of the appeal is that before the cold weather sets in, residents should inspect chimneys and ventilation, and managers of facilities with overnight stays should arrange boiler room servicing by trained specialists; the list of specific prohibitions and requirements provides a clear guide for such preparation.