Beijing residents might need to sign a contract with natural gas suppliers to better insure the safety of gas use by the end of this year, an official from the city gas office said Tuesday.
"We're drafting the contract with the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce and plan to introduce the contract to the more than 4 million households in the city," Li Jiaming, an official from the office told the Global Times.
The contract may include obliging residents to cooperate with the supplier to allow workers to enter their homes to make safety inspections.
"We've been inspecting homes for years but faced many difficulties in entering residents' homes; sometimes, the resident is not at home, sometimes they refuse to open the door to inspectors," said Li.
The contract will also likely include a clause on improving service, so that residents can ask for more safety inspections of gas equipment from the supplier, Li said.
He Shaoqin, 50, who lives in Haidian district, said she thinks gas suppliers do not do enough to promote safety.
"I've never seen any safety guidance, like what we should do in case of a fire. I hope the supplier can provide more campaigns like that," she said.
Ten people died from carbon monoxide poisoning in early February this year caused by old or unregulated boilers.
A new citywide contract between non-residential gas users and gas suppliers also went into force Monday.
It will specify the rights and liabilities for accidents between user and supplier, said Wang Qingwen, media officer from the city's commission of administration and environment.
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