CP7 gas inspections tricks
2 min readThe safety check record will contain details of any defect identified and remedial action taken. You must ensure that any safety defect is rectified (by a Gas Safe registered engineer) before the equipment is used again. It is recommended that you keep copies of work done to rectify defects identified by the safety check. It is an offence to use, or allow the use of, a gas appliance you know to be unsafe. In no circumstances should you reconnect an appliance that you have been told is unsafe, which either has been isolated or disconnected for safety reasons, until the fault has been rectified.
When engaging an engineer to fit, fix, or service gas appliances, you should ensure that person, and their employer, is on the register. You can consult the register online or contact them via phone on 0800 408 5500. You should also ask any engineer to show you their Gas Safe Register identity card. Check both sides: the front will show a photograph of the engineer, a registration number you can verify online, and an expiry date. The reverse will list the categories of work the engineer is qualified to undertake-for example, on boilers, cookers, and gas fires. It’s important to note that not all engineers will be qualified for all types of gas work.
The British Compressed Gases Association (BCGA) Code of Practice 7 (CP7): The Safe Use of Oxy-fuel Gas Equipment (Individual Portable or Mobile Cylinder Supply) and Code of Practice 47 (CP47) The Safe Use of Individual Portable or Mobile Cylinder Gas Supply Equipment provide guidance on maintenance and recommend, for example, that regulators and flashback arrestors are checked annually, both visually and functionally, by a competent person and replaced every five years. See extra details on CP7 Gas Checks.
As well as having your gas appliances serviced, it is advisable to have ventilation measures and flues cleaned and maintained on an annual basis. Hiring a Gas Safe engineer: When dealing with a substance as dangerous as gas, you will want to ensure that any professionals fitting, maintaining, or servicing your appliances are experienced and qualified to do so to avoid problems going unnoticed or appliances being installed incorrectly. Luckily, the Gas Safe Register makes it simple for everyone to gain access to a list of reputable, professional, and competent gas engineers in their local area.