Gas Cylinder Testing & Inspection Services
Gas safety is of utmost importance to protect you, your family or your employees. At Sumich we are well-versed in the requirements for safety and installation, also doing inspections. We can check your appliances and connections at home or at the office.
A gas safety inspection is different from a gas appliance service, as it is primarily aimed at inspecting all of your gas appliances, fittings and connections.
As a landlord of a domestic or commercial property, you have some requirements you need to meet to ensure the safety of the tenants.
What’s the problem?
Even if though LPG cylinders are considered safe and stable, they still pose a certain degree of danger. Known sources of risk include:
- Poor hose connections
- Damaged or corroded cylinders
- Placing a cylinder near a source of heat
- Incorrect storage of cylinder
Gas appliances in your home come with three main risks
- Gas leaks: A gas leak can cause fires or explosions. If you think you can smell gas, you need to call your supplier immediately. The gas fitter will inspect all the pipework visually and for tightness to ensure there aren’t any gas leaks.
- Fires and explosions: Safe gas appliances burn gas in a controlled way, but when the appliance or pipework is faulty the leaking gas can ignite in an uncontrolled way and cause a fire and explosion.
- Carbon monoxide poisoning: Carbon monoxide is a highly poisonous gas that is especially dangerous and deadly. This is because you can’t smell or taste it.
Minimise or Eliminate Risk
You must always eliminate the risk where you are reasonably able to. If you can’t, then you need to consider what you can do to minimise the risk. Ways to minimise your risk:
- Have a certified gas fitter inspect your gas installation once a year
- Keep your business premises or home well ventilated, gas appliances need a lot of fresh air to operate
- Never use damaged or corroded cylinders. LPG is stored under pressure and a faulty cylinder may leak or rupture. You should also check for dents and corrosion around the base
- Always store your LPG cylinders upright. Lying the cylinder down brings the liquid in contact with the safety valve, preventing it from operating correctly. Cylinders bigger than 2.25kg should be housed in a compliant enclosure like an LPG locker
- Check the gas connections regularly
- Keep the cylinder away from heat and flames (even if its empty)
- If you can smell gas, turn off the cylinder valve and evacuate the area
- Do not attempt to remove or replace the valve
- Do not try to fill your own cylinder
Certification
A Gas Safety Certificate (GSC) verifies that a completed, connected installation or part gas installation is safe to use.
A Certificate of Compliance (CoC) states that the work identified on the certificate has been completed safely and complies with gas regulations, it also identifies who is responsible for that work.
Gas Connection
The Gas regulations place obligations on those responsible for connecting a gas installation or part installation to a gas supply. In most cases, the person doing the connection must:
- Be satisfied that the gas installation or part installation is safe to connect
- Be satisfied that the required testing has been done
- Issue or sight a CoC issued no more than 6 months prior, if required
- Ensure the connection is safe
- Ensure the gas type and gas supply pressure are compatible with the gas supply
- Ensure any safety devices associated with the supply are correctly rated and operational
Gas Safety Inspection
Gas safety inspections should always be performed by a certified gas fitter.
An inspection is designed to check the following:
- The appliance is operating at the correct operating pressure
- There is adequate air supply to the appliance and that it is burning the gas correctly
- That flues and chimneys are clear and enable the appliance to emit gases and fumes safely to the outside
- That all safety devices in each appliance are working correctly
A gas appliance safety check ensures the appliance:
- Is properly set and adjusted so the gas burns correctly
- Is suitable for the room it’s located in
- Is physically stable, securely fitted and is properly connected to the gas pipework
A landlord’s duties when it comes to gas safety
The Gas (Safety and Measurement) Amendment Regulations 2014 specifically deal with the installation, maintenance and use of gas appliances, fittings and flues in domestic and commercial premises. These duties to protect your tenants’ safety in addition to the more general ones that landlords have under the health and safety at work act 2015.
The responsibilities of a person leasing or hiring out gas appliances, or property/premises containing them (Commercial only):
- Must take all practicable steps to ensure the gas appliance, fittings, or gas installation is safe at the commencement of the hire or lease
- Must ensure that the gas appliance, fittings or gas installation is accompanied by instructions for its safe use, including any information about any maintenance or ongoing safety inspections that are required
Responsibilities of a landlord for gas appliances, fittings, and gas installations at rented residential premises:
- The landlord must not provide any gas appliance, fittings or gas installation in relation under or in connection with a residential tenancy if the gas appliance, fittings or gas installation is unsafe
- The landlord must not allow anyone to use a gas appliance, fittings or gas installations provided by the landlord under or in connection with a residential tenancy if the gas appliance, fittings or installation is unsafe
- The landlord must provide the tenant/occupier with adequate instructions for the safe use of gas appliances, fittings or gas installation provided under or in connection with a residential tenancy
If you need a gas safety inspection for your own home, your rentals property or your commercial property, contact us today. One of our registered gas fitters can do a full inspection and any repairs or service requirements that come from the inspection.