Gas safety - Engineers

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HSE has issued an exemption from regulation 26(9)(c) of the Gas Safety (Installations and Use) Regulations to allow gas engineers to use a different test method to check the safe operation of certain types of gas appliance that cannot fully meet the testing requirements set out in the Regulations.

Regulation 26(9)(c) requires a person working on a gas appliance to check that its operating pressure or heat input (or both) are correct and to notify any defects. However, in certain circumstances, it is not possible for the engineer to carry out either test.

Since the introduction of gas appliances that incorporate pre-mix burners and zero set regulators (air/gas ratio valves) it has not been possible to measure the operating pressure of this type of appliance, and the only way to satisfy the requirements of regulation 26(9)(c) has been to measure the gas rate.

There are some situations where this type of appliance is connected to an unmetered gas supply (such as bulk storage LPG installations or multi-occupancy dwellings which do not have separate meters for each apartment). In such cases it is not possible to measure the gas rate without interrupting the gas supply to put a test meter in line.

The exemption will allow engineers to test this type of appliance using a portable combustion gas analyser (flue gas analyser) as an alternative to the tests specified in the Regulations. The testing will be carried out in accordance with the relevant part of BS 7967 - Carbon monoxide in dwellings and the combustion performance of gas fired appliances.

The exemption came into force on 16 June 2008 and applies only to appliances that:

• incorporate air/gas ratio technology; and
• are connected to an unmetered gas supply
• Certificate of exemption

Since April 1998, the gas industry has worked together to provide guidance to engineers on how to deal with a wide range of unsafe situations which they may identify during the course of their work on domestic and non-domestic gas installations. This advice has been published through the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure, the latest edition (6th edition) of which came into effect on 1st April 2009.

The 6th edition continues to improve industry gas safety standards in a number of key areas, in particular:

• Reinforces key ventilation improvements in the 4th edition, in that from the 1st June 2008, all installations providing less than 90 per cent of the purpose provided ventilation requirement will be classified as "At Risk".
• Offers guidance on the risk factors engineers should consider if they encounter flues located in voids which cannot be visually inspected.
• Introduces a wider range of information regarding unsafe situations identified on LPG installations
• Includes advice on the actions required in line with BS7967 when using electronic portable combustion gas analysers to investigate reports of fumes.
• Clarifies RIDDOR reporting guidance for major injury incidents and dangerous gas fittings.

HSE continues to support the gas industry in taking forward improvements to the procedure to help engineers respond effectively when unsafe gas installations are identified, thus helping to improve gas safety protection for consumers.

Due to the transition to the Gas Safe Register the 5th edition of the procedure did not come into effect, so the predecessor of the 6th edition is the 4th edition.  Further guidance on the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure is available from the Gas Safe Register, 200 Cedarwood, Crockford Lane, Basingstoke, RG24 8WD Tel – 0800 408 5577.