Gas industry unsafe situations procedure (6th edition)

Since April 1998, the gas industry has worked together to provide guidance to registered 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. The 6th edition of the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure has been compiled by a panel of industry representatives including HSE. This latest edition has been published by Gas Safe Register™ and came into effect on 1st April 2009.

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

• 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 regarded as putting consumers "At Risk" (see page 33 of the procedure).  Please see Annex 1 for HSE’s previously stated view on these improvements..
  
• Offers guidance on the risk factors engineers should consider if they encounter flues located in voids which cannot be visually inspected (see page 39).
  
• Introduces a wider range of information regarding unsafe situations identified on LPG installations (see page 45).
  
• Includes advice on the actions required in line with BS7967 when using electronic portable combustion gas analysers to investigate reports of fumes (see page 40).
  
• Clarifies RIDDOR reporting guidance for major injury incidents and dangerous gas fittings (see page 19).
  

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 new gas registration body (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.

Annex 1 - Ventilation changes within the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure (4th edition, 1st August 2005)

To operate safely, all gas appliances need an adequate supply of air. In particular, gas appliances of the open-flue type require an adequate supply of air to ensure complete combustion of the gas and efficient operation of the flue to remove the combustion products. The air supply is provided by fixed ventilation openings, e.g. air bricks/grills, to the standards outlined in BS 5440 Part 2. ^[1]

Since April 1998, the gas registration scheme provider has published guidance to their members on how to deal with a wide range of unsafe situations. This guidance, the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure, is compiled by a panel of experts from across the gas industry, and HSE is represented. This Procedure has always addressed situations where the supply of combustion air is inadequate, but there were concerns that the advice was ambiguous. Therefore, advice to engineers was changed in the 4th edition of the Procedure, specifically on how to deal with a situation where the supply of combustion air is found to be inadequate.

This part of the Procedure was revised in May 2005, and the advice to engineers is now as follows:

• Any existing gas appliances with below 40 per cent, (0% to 39%), ventilation should be deemed as " At Risk" and the appliance should be turned off with the gas users permission and the customer notified that the appliance should not be used until the defect has been rectified. This came into effect on 1 August 2005. (An “At Risk” appliance is defined as one where one or more recognised faults exist, and which, as a result, if operated, may in the future constitute a danger to life or property).
• Appliances installed in a compartment and provided with less than 90 per cent of the required ventilation should also be classified as "At Risk". There are particular dangers associated with this type of appliance if not installed correctly, as they can generate high levels of carbon monoxide in a very short period of time. Again this came into effect on 1 August 2005.
• From the 1 June 2008, all installations providing less than 90 per cent ventilation will be regarded as putting consumers "At Risk".

The industry decided to adopt this pragmatic two-stage approach in recognition of the difficulties for customers that could have been caused in applying the “At Risk” category to all relevant appliances straight away. The delay was designed to give both engineers and customers the opportunity to act on the guidance without the inconvenience of appliances being turned off. In many cases, increasing the size of the airbrick, or removing obstructions, such as a fly screen, can resolve the situation. Of the approximate 45 million gas appliances in use in the UK, it is thought that only 500,000 – 1 million might be affected by this change.

HSE would expect any gas engineer who encounters an appliance that fits into one of the above categories, to act on the guidance contained in the Unsafe Situations Procedure.

The regulations, and an associated Approved Code of Practice, place requirements on all gas engineers to carry out certain specified safety checks immediately after performing any work on a gas appliance. Such work would include routine servicing.

One of the specified checks is to ensure an adequate supply of combustion air. The assessment should take into account a range of factors, and an Appendix to the Approved Code gives further advice. Engineers are told to refer to appropriate standards.

Further guidance can be found within the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure available from the Gas Safe Register, 200 Cedarwood, Crockford Lane, Basingstoke, RG24 8WD Tel – 0800 408 5577 or www.gassaferegister.co.uk

Footnote

1. BS 5440 Part 2:2000 “Installation and maintenance of flues and ventilation for gas appliances of rated input not exceeding 70KW net (1st, 2nd and 3rd family gases). Specification for installation and maintenance of ventilation for gas appliances.