The Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations require that the gas supply to the meter be governed in all premises other than mines, quarries and factories (Regulation 13). It is practice to govern all premises, but exceptions may be made in categories where it is permissible, and there is advantage in so doing. 

For much plant the manufacturers will provide detailed maintenance schedules which should be followed at all times. This may necessitate the use of spares and tools specific to that appliance. Attention is drawn to Regulation 25(7) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations, which states that No person shall carry out any work in relation to a gas appliance which bears an indication that it conforms to a type approved by any person as complying with safety standards in such a manner that the appliance ceases to comply with those standards . 

After testing for soundness it will be necessary to safely introduce gas into the pipework displacing the air or inert gas that is in it. Similarly, if pipework is decommissioned for any reason fuel gas must be displaced by air or inert gas. This is a requirement of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations, Regulation 21. Guidance on recommended procedures is given in the British Gas publication Purging Procedures for Non-Domestic Gas Installations (IM/2). 

After soundness testing and purging, a competent person must commission the item of plant. It is a requirement of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations, Regulation 33, that an appliance is fully commissioned at the time that gas is made available to it or that it is isolated in such a manner that it cannot be used. 

This is to be used only for buried pipework or in ducts, as it is adversely affected by ultraviolet radiation and its use inside buildings is prohibited by the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations. For pressures up to 4 bar. 

Attention is drawn to Regulation 4(2) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations, which prohibits the use of non-metallic materials for gas pipework other than for small portable appliances such as Bunsen burners and lighting torches. 

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (SI 2451) (brief summary only)... 

Cylinders should be placed so that the rotary cylinder valve handle at the top is accessible at all times. Cylinder valves should be opened slowly, and only when a proper regulator is firmly in place and the attachment has been shown to be leak-proof by an appropriate test (see Chapter 5, section 5.H). The cylinder valve should be closed as soon as the necessary amount of gas has been released. Valves should be either completely open or completely closed. Flow restrictors should be installed on gas cylinders to minimize the chance of excessive flows. The cylinder valve should never be left open when the equipment is not in use. This precaution is necessary not only for safety when the cylinder is under pressure, but also to prevent the corrosion and contamination that would result from diffusion of air and moisture into the cylinder after it has been emptied. 

---