Gas Safety Information...

So everyone knows that gas can be dangerous; it's like any other fuel we use, it burns fast and very hot causing devastation in many ways, but; what a lot of people don't realise is that the gas we use in our homes and businesses is pretty safe and I've wrote this page to give you some underpinning knowledge surrounding the gas we use in the UK..

 

The Facts:

• Natural gas is a fossil fuel that is running out. The price will rise as the fuel reserves become depleted. It's difficult to establish an exact year when we'll run out; but based on current usage not increasing, experts in this field say that we'll have depleted the natural gas reserves within the next 120-175 years.
   
• Natural gas has no smell; the refinery's actually add an odour called mercaptan which was based on the smell of rotten eggs or, as some described; decayed cabbage to make the gas more detactable.
   
• Gas needs to be mixed with between 5% and 15% of air before it becomes explosive.
   
• The quality, purity and effectiveness of the gas you buy in the UK varies from area to area, this is identified on your gas bill by the Calorific Value (CV).

 

The Law:

• All gas work in the UK must comply with the GSIUR (The Gas Safety [Installation & Use] Regulations). This is a living document which is frequently ammended.
   
• DIY gas work is legal in the UK as long as the work complies with the GSIUR and the person completing the work is competant to do so and that the work being completed is not for reward or a secondary party.
   
• All persons undertaking work on gas fittings and pipework in the UK for reward or for a secondary party must be registered with the UK's Gas Safety Governing Body, at the moment this is CORGI (Council of Registered Gas Installers) although as I write this now, the government has announced that CORGI is to be replaced by CAPITA in April/March 2009.
   
• Although an engineer may be CORGI registered, they may not be legally permitted to undertake certain taks or the task at all; a CORGI membership is only valid when works being carried out are on behalf of the registered business; in my case that's good old "Dan The Gas" #232778 additionally; the engineer must hold valid ACS certificates for the category of work they are completing. There are hundreds of these certificates, each breaking down the entire industry into small chunks and they last for only 5 years before having to be resit.
   
• Any new gas or fuel burning appliances must now meet SEDBUK ratings and specialist energy efficiency criteria to help conserve the natural gas our planet has left. Installers and gas engineers also have to sit energy efficiency exams and courses to stay up to date with emerging energy efficient technologies.