Part The Gas Industry · 2020-02-23 · P1: IFM/FFX P2: FAW/FFX QC: FAW/FFX T1: FAW BLBK240-Treloar.cls January 19, 2010 11:14 3 1 The Gas Industry Gas Safe Register Not every individual

P1: IFM/FFX P2: FAW/FFX QC: FAW/FFX T1: FAW

BLBK240-Treloar.cls January 19, 2010 11:14

Part 1The Gas Industry

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The Gas Industry

The gas industry has gone through major changes in the past few decades. Prior to and duringthe early 1960s most gas installation work in the UK was undertaken by British Gas. In 1968,a 22-storey block of flats in Canning Town, East London, was devastated by a major gasexplosion, which persuaded the industry that a body was needed to oversee this kind of work.As a result, in 1970 a voluntary gas body was formed, called the Confederation of RegisteredGas Installers (CORGI).

During the early 1970s, plumbers and heating engineers began to take a greater interestin undertaking gas work, thanks to central heating systems becoming a requirement in theaverage home. In 1972 the first Gas Safety Regulations were introduced, which identified thelegal responsibilities to which the installer had to adhere.

With the introduction of the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) in 1990, gas installers startedto take update training and assessment in gas working practices and, by 1991, anyone workingin the gas industry for financial gain had to be registered with a Health and Safety Executive(HSE)-approved body.

From 1991 through to 2009 CORGI (renamed the Council for Registered Gas Engineers) heldthe register which all gas engineers needed to be a member of. Currently, however, this registeris maintained by Capita, and is called the Gas Safe Register.

Since 1991 all gas engineers have needed to be assessed as competent in the aspect of gaswork that they wish to undertake; undertaking any work without this assessment would meanthat they are in breach of the law. The assessment that an individual undertakes is calledthe Nationally Accredited Certification Scheme for Individual Gas Fitting Operatives (ASC).There are many different assessments, and these are listed in the next section.

Working in the Gas IndustryToday, if you wish to work in the gas industry you need to belong to a company registeredwith Capita. Becoming a member is no easy task, and the following activities are necessary togain registration:

1. You will need to gain training through a registered company and be given the opportunityto undertake activities in the type of gas work in which you wish to be assessed. During thisperiod of employment, you will need to complete a portfolio with authenticated evidenceto show that you have undertaken ‘on the job’ work under the guidance of a registeredinstaller and completed several installations yourself.

2. You will need to undertake and be able to show evidence that you have completed ‘off thejob’ training at an established training centre.

3. You will need to demonstrate the skills obtained from (1) and (2) above, and pass thewritten and practical ACS assessment.

4. Only after completing (1)–(3) above can you obtain work with a registered gas business.Alternatively, you may apply to become registered in your own right.

The contact details for the gas registration scheme are:Gas Safe Register, PO Box 6804, Basingstoke, RG24 4NBPhone: 0800 408 5577 Email: www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk



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Gas Safe RegisterNot every individual gas operative is registered in their own right. It is the businesses that areregistered. A business, however, must list all the gas engineers that it employs on its list ofnamed gas fitting operatives. As proof that the operative is maintained on the register, Capitaissues a card-type certificate annually. The operative should carry this as proof of competence.On the back of the card is a list of the work categories that the operative is allowed to perform.

Working without RegistrationBy carefully studying the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations you will find that it ispossible to undertake gas work, but with a certain degree of limitation. For example, DIY workis an area that may be practised without the need for registration. However, a word of caution,this does mean ‘for yourself’, or possibly for very close family, and without financial gain. Thework must still be completed competently and in compliance with the Gas Regulations andassociated industry documents, such as manufacturers’ instructions and British Standards. Atthe time of writing, certain work within factories and mines, etc. was outside the scope ofthe Gas Regulations but, under the Health and Safety at Work Regulations, this must still becompleted competently and safely.

An example of the Gas Safe Register ID card courtesy of Gas Safe RegisterTM



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Nationally Accredited Certification Scheme forIndividual Gas Fitting Operatives (ACS)

In order for gas operatives to work in a particular aspect of the profession they need tohave undertaken the appropriate ACS gas assessment in the specific area of work. Thereare many different assessments that are applicable to domestic, commercial, naturalgas and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) installations; there are also some specialist andservice provider assessments. In addition to the list of assessments identified below, thereis a range of changeover assessments, providing conversions between the various coreassessments, e.g. domestic to commercial (CCN1 to COCN1). These are given in the nextsection.

Specific Assessment Categories (in alphabetical order)CABLP1 – Domestic LPG fired mobile cabinet heatersCBHP1 – Boosters/compressors and high pressure pipesCCCN1 – Core commercial catering safetyCCLNG1 – Core commercial laundry gas safetyCCLP1B – Core domestic LPG gas safety: Boats, yachts and other vesselsCCLP1EP – Core domestic LPG gas safety: External pipework and gas vessel connectionsCCLP1LAV – Core domestic LPG gas safety: Leisure accommodation vehicles (caravans

and motor homes)CCLP1MC – Core domestic LPG gas safety: Mobile cabinet heaters (limited scope)CCLP1PD – Core domestic LPG gas safety: Permanent dwellingsCCLP1RPH – Core domestic LPG gas safety: Residential park homesCCN1 – Core domestic natural gas safetyCCP1 – Commissioning indirect fired commercial plant and equipmentCDGA1 – Commercial direct fired heating appliancesCEN1 – Domestic central heating/hot water boilers (<70 kW net input)CESP1 – Natural gas core emergency service providerCGFE1 – Gas fuelled enginesCGLP1 – Commercial catering vehicle gas generatorsCIGA1 – Commercial indirect fired heating appliancesCKHB1 – Domestic range cookers/boilersCKR1 – Domestic natural gas cookersCLE1 – Commercial laundry equipmentCMA1 – Specific core meter installationsCMA2LS – Limited core domestic gas safetyCMCALP1 – Commercial LPG mobile catering appliances (boiler rings, bains marie, hot

cupboards, toasters)CMCALP2 – Commercial LPG mobile catering appliances (fryers, fish and chip ranges,

grillers, griddles, doughnut fryers)CMCALP3 – Commercial LPG mobile catering appliances (pressure/expansion boilers,

tea urns, cappuccino machines)CMCALP4 – Commercial LPG mobile catering appliances



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CMCLP1 – LPG commercial core mobile catering gas safetyCMDDA1 – Carbon monoxide/dioxide investigation and combustion performance

testingCMET1 – Diaphragm RPD >6 m3/h and <107 m3/hCMET2 – Diaphragm RPD and turbine metersCMIT1LS – Gas meter instrumentation operativesCOCLP1 – LPG core commercial gas safetyCOCN1 – Natural gas core commercial gas safetyCOCNPI1LS – Natural gas core commercial gas safety pipework (installer/commissioner)COMCAT1 – Commercial catering (freestanding stoves/ovens, boiling tables, hot plates,

bains marie, hot cupboards)COMCAT2 – Commercial catering (pressure/expansion boiler, steaming ovens, boiling

pans, dishwashers, urns)COMCAT3 – Commercial catering (deep fat and pressure fryers, brat pans, griddles,

under- and over-fired grills)COMCAT4 – Commercial catering (fish and chip ranges)COMCAT5 – Commercial catering (conveyor type ovens and forced draught burner

appliances)CORT1 – Commercial radiant heatersCPA1 – Combustion performance analysisDAH1 – Natural gas domestic ducted air heaters (<70 kW net)DFDA1 – Domestic forced draught burning appliancesEFJLP1 – Poly-electro fusion jointingHTR1 – Domestic gas fires and wall heatersHTRLP2 – LPG caravan gas firesHTRLP3 – LPG caravan heatersHWB1 – Hot water boilers 15–140 kW (swimming pool boilers)ICAE1LS – Limited scope commercial first fix appliances and equipmentICPN1 – Commercial pipework first fix >35 mmICPN1LS – Limited scope commercial pipework first fixLAU1 – Natural gas domestic laundry appliancesLEI1 – Natural gas leisure and miscellaneous appliances (barbeques, greenhouse heaters,

gas lights)LEILP1 – LPG leisure and miscellaneous appliances (barbeques, greenhouse heaters, gas

lights)MET1 – Domestic natural gas meters (install/exchange primary and secondary meters)MET2 – Domestic natural gas meters for service providers (install/exchange primary and

secondary meters)MET3LS – Meter installations gas safetyMET4 – Diaphragm gas meter installationsREFLP2 – LPG caravan gas refrigeratorsTPCP1 – Testing and purging low pressure commercial gas pipework >1 m3

TPCP1A – Testing and purging low pressure commercial gas pipework <1 m3

VESLP1 – Single LPG gas pipework above and below ground <0.1 m3

VESLP2 – Multiple LPG gas pipework above and below ground >0.1 m3

WAHLP1 – LPG warm air heaters in boatsWAT1 – Domestic natural gas instantaneous water heatersWATLP2 – LPG caravan gas water heaters



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Required ACS Assessments and Flowcharts

In order to undertake an assessment in the particular work category that you require,e.g. CEN1 (domestic boilers), you also need to hold the specific core assessment. Thisis because the core assessment is a prerequisite to all appliance assessments.

There are several core assessment categories and many have similar assessment cri-teria. Therefore, it is not always necessary to undertake the complete core for a specificrange of appliances as a changeover assessment can be obtained. These include:

CoCATA1 – Changeover COCN1 to CCCN1CoDC1 – Changeover CCN1 to CCCN1CoDNCML1 – Changeover CCN1 to CMCLP1CoDNCO1 – Changeover CCN1 to COCN1CoDNESP1 – Changeover CCN1 to CESP1CoLPNG1 – Changeover CCLP1 to CCN1CoNGLP1 – Changeover CCN1 or COCN1 to CCLP1CoNGLP1B – Changeover CCN1 to CCLP1BCoNGLP1LAV – Changeover CCN1 to CCLP1LAVCoNGLP1PD – Changeover CCN1 or COCN1 to CCLP1PDCoNGLP1RPH – Changeover CCN1 to CCLP1RPH

Importance of Maintaining a Current Core AssessmentBecause the core is a mandatory requirement for any further appliance assessment itmust always be maintained as a valid and current assessment certificate. Assessmentsare valid for five years from the date of issue. Should the core certification run out,then the validation of all other certificates received after the date of the core, includingchangeover cores, ceases, even though they may have time to run. As soon as thecore category has been re-assessed and the assessment passed, the other certificatesbecome valid again.

Individual ACS RequirementsAt first sight the vast list of ACS assessment criteria can look quite daunting andit is difficult to choose which assessment to undertake. However, this is can beapproached by using the following flowcharts.

Points to consider� You must hold the specific core for the area of gas work in which you wish to

work, e.g. commercial, domestic or LPG, and have any prerequisite assessments.On the flowcharts these are the assessments through which the line flows.

� If you have a domestic natural gas core and, say, CKR1 you can work on naturalgas cookers only. However, if you also have the LPG core, you can also work onLPG cookers. It is the core that denotes the type of installation into which thecooker is installed.



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Domestic Appliances in Commercial PremisesWhere operatives hold the domestic ACS qualifications for a specific appliance (e.g.CEN1 boilers <70 kW net) they can work on that appliance in commercial premises,providing the pipework, including a local isolation valve, does not exceed 35 mmin diameter. Should an operative hold the commercial core and wish to work on adomestic type appliance, they do not need to obtain the domestic core to acquire adomestic appliance assessment, such as CEN1 above. However, they cannot workin domestic premises unless they also obtain the domestic core.

Commercial Assessments

CBHP1gas

boosters

CORT1overhead heaters

COCN1commercial natural gas core safety

TPCP1Atightness testing <1 m3

CCP1commission

plant & equipment

ICPN1pipework >35 mm

diameter *

this assessment is only requiredif the operative works on pipes bigger than 35 mm

CDGA1directfired

appliances

CIGA1Indirect

fired appliances

CGFE1gas

fuelled engines

CoDNCO

TPCP1tightness testing >1m3

COCLP1commercial

LPG core safety

CoNGLP1

*

Continued over the page:



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CKR1cookers

CEN1boilers

CPA1combustionperformance

HTR1fires

DAH1warm air

DFDA1forced

draught appliances

EFJLP1electro- fusion

welding

HWB1swimming

poolboilers

CKHB1range

cookers

MET1gas

meters

LEI1leisure

appliances

LAU1tumble dryers

WAT1water

heaters

CCLP1LPG core

safety

CoDNCO1

CoLPNG1

CoNGLP1

CCN1natural

gas core safety

Domestic Natural Gasand LPG Assessments

VESLP2multiple

LPG pipes

WAHLP1Warm air on boats

REFLP2caravan

refrigerators

CCLP1LPG core

safety

Specific LPG Assessments

CABLP1cabinet heaters

HTRLP3caravan heaters

WATLP2caravan water

heaters

VESLP1single LPG pipes

HTRLP2caravan

fires

* Note CCLP1 is followed by the letters denotingthe core work area applicable, e.g.:

PD - permanent dwellingsLAV - leisure accommodation vehiclesRPH - residential park homesB - boatsEP - external pipeworkMC - mobile cabinet heaters (limited scope)



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Commercial Catering in Mobile Units

COMCAT1open & solid top ranges

Commercial Catering

COMCAT3grills

griddles & fryers

COMCAT5forced

draught appliances

COMCAT4fish & chip

ranges

COMCAT2pressure- expansion

boilers

CCCN1catering

core safety

CMCALP1open & solid top ranges

CMCALP3pressure- expansion

boilers

CMCLP1mobile

catering core

GCLP1vehicle

generators

CMCALP4water

heaters

CMCALP2grills

griddles & fryers

ICAE1LS1st fix

appliances

ICPN1LSpipework >35 mm

diameter *

Limited Scope Operative

CLE1commercial

laundry *

CCLNG1core

commercial laundry

Commercial Laundry

Meter Installer/Exchanger

CMA1meter core

safety

MET2domestic meters up

to U 6CMET1

commercial RPD

meters *

CMET2RPD & turbine

meters *

MET4meters up

to U 40 Emergency Service Providers

CESP1gas safety

core *

same as MET1

COCNP1LSlimited

scope core safety

TPCP1Atightness testing <1 m3

TPCP1tightness testing >1 m3

ICPN1pipework >35 mm diameter

Nat gas only

Limited Scope Operative(pipe installer/commissioner)

This operative does not make a connectionto a live gas supply and is involved in 1st fixpipework and appliances only.

* in addition to the above ICPN1 andTPCP1/1a may be required

(same as COMCAT1)

(same as COMCAT3)

(same as COMCAT2)

(same as WATLP1)



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Legislation Affecting the Gas Installer 1

Legislation places a mandatory/legal responsibility on the gas operative, who mustcomply with it in order to work within the industry. The piece of legislation thataffects the gas engineer most is the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations.However, this is not the only legislation that needs to be observed. In fact, in thisarea most actions undertaken as general work activities are affected by some pieceof legislation.

Referring to the flow diagram opposite, which only represents a very small percentageof the legislation that must be observed, it will be seen that the law is divided into twoparts, the Acts of Parliament and the Regulations. The Regulations are drawn up bygovernment and often following an Act of Parliament. Regulations are usually policedby an authority such as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), local authoritiesand their building control officers (BCOs) or water authority inspectors. Acts ofParliament and Regulations are updated as necessary and care needs to be taken toensure that the latest version is referred to.

Below the dotted line opposite falls the industry guidance documentation. Thesedocuments do not have legal status as such. However, compliance with thesedocuments is generally deemed to indicate good working practices and shows thatthe minimum standards have been maintained. Industry guidance documentationmay also form part of a specification for a contract and, as such, non-compliancemay lead to a civil action being taken against the gas fitting company.

Criminal and Civil LawEnglish law is divided into criminal law and civil law and different courts and pro-cedures are followed for each.

Criminal law is penal law involving a crime against the State and is punishable byimprisonment and/or a fine. Action is taken by the police or by such bodies as theHSE or local authority.

Civil law pertains to the rights of private individuals and to the legal proceedingsinvolving those rights. In a civil case the aim of a trial is to establish facts, basedon evidence, and to determine liability. Civil law provides for compensation for theinjured party, usually in the form of damages or an injunction demanding certainaction to be taken.

Examples of the legislation given opposite are described in more detail over the page.



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Legislation Affecting the Gas Installer 2

Gas ActThe Gas Act has seen many changes over the years and is responsible for putting inplace the following Regulations, to name a few:� Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations

These are the main regulations that are applicable to the gas fitting operative, butit must be emphasised that they amount to only a few of many regulations that areapplicable. The Gas Regulations are described in more detail on page 16.

� Gas Safety (Rights of Entry) RegulationsUnder these regulations the gas supplier may, with police assistance if necessary,enter a property to make an installation safe.

� Gas Safety (Management) RegulationsUnder these regulations the gas supplier must submit a ‘safety case’ identifyingtheir procedures. They must operate a full emergency gas service, to include acentral telephone emergency number and must investigate any major gas incident,such as a poisoning or gas explosion.

In 1995 this Act was updated to include new licensing provisions enabling competi-tion in the domestic gas market for the sale of gas.

Health and Safety at Work ActThis Act, first issued in 1974, includes a large number of regulations for workingoperatives. There are possibly hundreds of regulations that fall under this Act. Someexamples are cited below.� Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations

These contain the statutory duties designed to protect operatives and all othersfrom the effects of working with substances that may cause harm to their health.The COSHH Regulations make it a requirement that you maintain a list of all haz-ardous materials and substances used, and have to hand the necessary protectionadvice and first aid information.

� Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RID-DOR)These Regulations apply to the reporting of dangerous and unsafe situations andare covered in depth on page 286.

� Management of Health and Safety at Work (MHSW) Regulations and Construc-tion (Design and Management) (CDM) RegulationsThese Regulations place a wide range of duties on employers, contractors, designersand clients, etc. to ensure that health and safety is maintained throughout theconstruction process. This includes ensuring that adequate risk assessments arecarried out.

There are many, many more regulations falling within the Act and the Regulationsoutlined above. It must be understood that they are only part of the whole picture.



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Building ActIn the early days, local Building Acts were applied to specific districts. However,these days they are in the form of Building Regulations. There are differences inEngland/Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The Isle of Man also has some varia-tions. However, in essence, the Regulations all identify the minimum requirements tobe applied to building works as well as aspects affecting safety, energy conservation,etc. The Regulations themselves are quite a small document. However, alongsidethem sit a series of Approved Documents (or Technical Standards, in Scotland),which set out detailed design requirements. Examples of those used in England andWales are:� Approved Document F: covering ventilation;� Approved Document J: covering heat producing appliances;� Approved Document L: covering conservation of fuel.

Water ActThe earliest Water Acts made provision for local water byelaws. These were madeto suit the various local water authority conditions. However, since 1999, all waterinstallation work in England and Wales has had to comply with a set of mandatoryWater Supply Regulations. As with building controls, Northern Ireland and Scotlandhave their own variations.

Electricity ActThe earliest Electrical Acts date back to the late 19th century when electricity wasfirst produced. This Act is responsible for putting in place the following Regulations:� The Electricity Safety Quality and Continuity Regulations (Formerly The Elec-

trical Supply Regulations)This identifies the types of supply that may be used to serve a particular property,etc.

� The Electricity at Work RegulationsThese Regulations, among other things, identify specific tasks that must be under-taken when working on electrical supply systems. For example, the Regulationsstate the minimum tests to be carried out when checking an installation and alsoidentify how the test equipment should be checked for correct operation prior toand after testing.

The effect of legislation does not stop here and many other laws are involved. Forexample, issued under the Road Traffic Act, the Carriage of Goods Regulationsidentifies the carriage of LPG cylinders greater than 2.5 kg in closed vans. Anotherpiece of legislation to affect the operative is the Environmental Protection Act, whichaims to protect the environment and requires an operative to have a licence to carryrubbish in the back of their vehicle. It is difficult to keep abreast of new laws; however,ignorance is no defence in the eyes of the law.



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Industry Documents and British Standards

In addition to the vast amount of legislation already mentioned, the operative needs to be awareof an array of industry documents that must be followed in order to ensure that an installationconforms to the required standard.

Industry documents include: manufacturers’ instructions; British Standards (BS);Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM) procedures; LP Gas Association (LPGA);and codes of practice, to name a few. As with legislation, these documents are continually beingupdated and reviewed so it is essential that the latest version of the document is used. Anotherproblem is that one document often overlaps another and invariably they have different orconflicting views. The first requirement is to follow mandatory legislation; you then need toobserve the specific manufacturer’s instructions, followed by the British Standards, IGEM andUKLPG codes of practice. Finally, where assistance is still required, you should follow otherindustry guidelines such as those of the Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association (HVCA).

Food for ThoughtIf we looked at the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations we would find that the lawrequires an appliance to be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Theinstructions themselves may well indicate that the appliance must be installed in accordance witha relevant BS or industry document. Therefore, in essence, if you fail to install or test an applianceby the methods suggested in the BS, etc. this may well suggest that you are not complying with themanufacturer’s instructions and therefore the law.

Gas Appliance (Safety) RegulationsThis is the standard that all new gas appliances must meet. A supplier must not offer for sale anyappliance that does not meet this standard. The provision of this regulation ensures appliances aretested and quality guaranteed and, above all, are safe to use.

To identify that an appliance meets these high standards it ismarked with a special logo, no less than 5 mm high, bearingthe letters ‘CE’. The letters CE stand for the French phrase‘Conformite Europeene’, implying that an appliance conformsto European safety legislation, and it is recognised throughoutEurope.

CE Mark

Contact details for the following Standards and Guidance Documents are given at the front of thisbook.

Useful British Standards Applicable to Gas Installation WorkBS EN 498 – Dedicated LPG barbecues for outdoor useBS EN 669 – Corrugated metallic flexible hoses for catering appliancesBS EN 1443 – Chimneys: general requirementsBS EN 1949 – Installation of LPG systems for habitation in leisure accommodation vehiclesBS EN 13410 – Gas fired overhead radiant heaters – ventilation requirementsBS EN 13786 – Automatic changeover valvesBS 1179 – Glossary of terms used in the gas industryBS 1710 – Identification of pipelines and services



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BS 3016 – Pressure regulators and automatic changeover valvesBS 3212 – Flexible rubber tubing and hose assemblies for LPG installationsBS 5440 pt. 1 and 2 – Installation/maintenance of flues and ventilation ≤70 kW netBS 5482 pt. 1, 2 and 3 – Installation of LPG in dwellings, caravans and boatsBS 5546 – Installation of hot water supplies for domestic purposes using gas ≤70 kW netBS 5601 – Ventilation and heating of caravansBS 5864 – Installation of gas fired ducted-air heaters ≤70 kW netBS 5871 pt. 1, 2, 3 and 4 – Installation of gas fires, heaters, back boilers and DFE appliancesBS 5854 – Flues and flue structures in buildingsBS 5925 – Ventilation principles and designing natural ventilationBS 6172 – Installation and maintenance of domestic cooking appliancesBS 6173 – Installation of gas catering appliances used in catering establishmentsBS 6230 – Installation of gas fired forced convection air heaters for commercial heatingBS 6400 – Installation of domestic-sized meters ≤ 6 m3/hBS 6644 – Installation of gas fired hot water boilers between 70 and 2 MW grossBS 6764 – Habitation and stability requirements for leisure accommodation vehicles/homesBS 6798 – Installation of gas fired boilers ≤70 kW netBS 6891 – Installation of low pressure gas pipework up to 35 mm in domestic premisesBS 6896 – Installation of gas fired overhead radiant heaters for commercial heatingBS 7624 – Installation and maintenance of domestic direct gas fired tumble dryers ≤3 kWBS 7967 – Carbon monoxide in dwellings and combustion performance of gas appliances

Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers(Utilisation Procedure Publications)IGE/UP/1 – Strength testing, tightness testing and purging of commercial installations >1 m3

IGE/UP/1A – Strength testing, tightness testing and purging of commercial installations ≤1 m3

IGE/UP/1B – Tightness testing and purging of domestic natural gas installationsIGE/UP/2 – Gas installation pipework, boosters and compressors in commercial premisesIGE/UP/3 – Gas fuelled spark ignition and dual fuel enginesIGE/UP/4 – Commissioning of gas fired plant in commercial premisesIGE/UP/6 – Application of positive displacement compressors to natural gas fuel systemsIGE/UP/7 – Gas installations in timber framed dwellingsIGE/UP/8 – Gas installations for caravan holiday/residential homes and permanently moored

boatsIGE/UP/9 – Natural gas fuel systems to gas turbines and auxiliary fired burnersIGE/UP/10 – Installation of gas appliances in commercial premises

UK LPG Codes of PracticeCP1 – Installation and maintenance of bulk LPG storageCP7 – Storage of full and empty LPG cylinders/cartridgesCP17 – Purging LPG vessels and systemsCP21 – Safety checks on LPG appliances in caravansCP22 – LPG piping system design and installationCP24 – The use of LPG cylindersCP25 – LPG central storage and distributionCP27 – The carriage of LPG cylinders in closed vansCP29 – The labelling requirements for commercial LPG cylindersGN2 – A guide to servicing cabinet heaters



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Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations

The Gas Safety Regulations, which have been enacted under the Gas Acts, are dividedinto a number of topics, with each set of regulations having a specific focus. Theirsubject matter is indicated in the brackets, as follows:� Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations;� Gas Safety (Rights of Entry) Regulations;� Gas Safety (Management) Regulations;� Gas Safety (Meters) Regulations.

Where this book makes reference simply to the Gas Regulations, this refers to thespecific set of regulations dealing with Installation and Use.

The first set of the Gas Regulations was published in 1972 and it has sinceundergone many changes. The Regulations are available either as a Statutory Instru-ment as laid before Parliament or as a series of ‘Approved Documents’ as suppliedby the HSE.

The Gas Regulations are divided into seven parts as follows.

Part A: GeneralThis part begins by citing the dates on which the new Regulations come into effect.The bulk of this section deals with the general interpretation and application of theregulations and defines specific terms, for example, in relation to any premises. Theterm ‘responsible person’ refers to the occupier or owner of the property and not thegas operative, as is often mistakenly thought. This part also defines those buildingsto which the regulations do not apply.

Part B: Gas Fittings – General ProvisionsThis part deals with the general competency of operatives and/or the working prac-tices that have to be complied with. This section makes reference to employers andself-employed persons being classes of persons approved by the HSE. The regula-tions do not state that every operative needs to be approved. However, this comeswithin the rules of the Gas Registration scheme in that all businesses must providethe names of every competent and ACS assessed operative working for them. Thissection also puts an onus on responsible persons to ensure that those working forthem are adequately qualified.

This part does more than define competency, it also goes on to emphasise the needto ensure that gas is not freely discharged from a pipe, and that a naked flame is notused to assist in finding a gas leak.



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Part C: Meters and RegulatorsThis section deals with the positioning and labelling of meters, both primary andsecondary. It also deals with the supply regulator and, where applicable, any meterby-pass.

Part D: Installation PipeworkThis part of the regulations considers the safe use and location of pipework. Itconsiders bonding and ventilation of voids where necessary. Where pipework isplaced within commercial premises it also identifies appropriate marking.

Part E: Gas AppliancesThis part of the regulations covers the necessary testing and checks that must be un-dertaken when working on an appliance and it also includes testing and checking theflue and ventilation. Under Part E, operatives are required to leave the manufacturer’sinstructions with the consumer, and it is an offence for an operative to take themaway on completion of a contract. This ensures that the appliance can be maintainedto the specified standards as prescribed by the manufacturer.

Part F: MaintenanceThis part of the regulations is quite new and was first introduced in 1998. It placesspecific duties on the owners of properties within which gas appliances are situated.For example, it requires the landlord of a property to ensure that any appliancesinstalled within their property are inspected for safe operation at no less that 12-monthly intervals. All appropriate records of these checks need to be maintained.

Part F deals mainly with the duties of landlords but it also includes employers andtheir workplace.

Part G: MiscellaneousThis final part deals with miscellaneous issues, such as how to deal with gas escapes.It also cites regulations that have been revoked or amended.

What Is Not in the Gas RegulationsIt should be remembered that the Regulations do not specify how work should becarried out. They simply identify what should and should not be done. How this isachieved is up to the installer. To assist in this process you need to refer to the variousindustry documents and manufacturers’ instructions, as already mentioned. Nor dothe Gas Regulations identify what materials should be used. These may, however, bespecified in other legislation, such as the Building Regulations, which also need to becomplied with. Particular attention should be made to Approved Document J, whichdeals with the requirements for flues.



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