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The most commonly-used gases - butane, propane and natural gas - are odourless. However, the companies that distribute them include an additive that gives them the characteristic 'gas smell' so that a leak can be quickly detected.

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Revising the installation
One of the main measures to be taken is the periodical revision of your gas installation and of all related apparatus: heaters, boilers and hobs. If you use a butane gas container, the connecting pipes should be checked and changed before they become out of date. These installations must by law be checked once every five years.

In natural gas installations, revisions must by law be carried out once every four years. Most suppliers offer, at varying prices, an annual revision of the installations, which is by no means compulsory.

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Basic checks
When you inhale gas during a leak, it enters the body's red blood cells and prevents oxygen from reaching the brain and causing headaches, vomiting and nausea. This is why rooms should be well-aired when using gas-based apparatus.

The flame of gas-based devices should be bright blue at its base and lighter around the edges; it should also be steady and should not go out. If the opposite is true, the combustion is faulty and a technician will have to repair the fault.

The stopcocks should be in perfect working order. To check this, mix water and soap and apply it to the joints. If bubbles arise a few seconds later, the joint is faulty and is causing a minor leak. Another way to check is to close all the stopcocks and check to see if the counter continues advancing. If this is so, the installation is faulty.

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Precautionary measures
If the house smells of gas, quickly open the windows. Even if it is dark, do not switch on any lights, as the spark could cause an explosion.

When you switch on a gas device, do not open a stopcock until the flame is already lit. You can thus avoid a small explosion from occurring if gas has escaped from the faulty device.

In the kitchen it is obligatory to install small air gratings to guarantee that the room is well aired. The size and number of these holes depend on the size of the kitchen and the number of gas devices in the room. An expert should advise you as to the current regulations.

Never use radiators, heaters or gas containers as hangers for drying damp clothes. In fan heaters especially, you could cause a fire.