Gas plant on an industrial site is usually spread across several areas: a boiler house, burners on production lines, heaters in the warehouse, and the pipework connecting them. Responsibility is often split between maintenance, production and facilities, which is how gaps appear. This checklist is for site and maintenance managers in Preston and Lancashire who want a quick way to see where they stand.
Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, employers must keep gas appliances, flues and pipework at their premises in a safe condition. Any work on them must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered business. The checklist below helps you show that you are meeting that duty.
1. Know what you have
- An up-to-date asset list of every gas appliance on site: boilers, burners, heaters, ovens and any kitchen equipment
- Location, make, model and serial number for each item
- Drawings or a marked-up plan showing the gas meter, main isolation valve and pipework routes
- A named person responsible for gas safety on each shift
If the list is out of date, start there. Every other step depends on it.
2. Certificates and records
- A current gas safety certificate or inspection record for each appliance, issued by an engineer qualified for that appliance type
- Service reports showing combustion readings, defects found and work carried out
- Records of any gas tightness tests, particularly after alterations to pipework
- A list of open defects, with dates for when each one will be fixed
Keep records together and in date order. Insurers, auditors and HSE inspectors will ask for them, and it helps any engineer attending a breakdown.
3. Isolation and emergency controls
- The emergency control valve and main isolation valve are labelled, accessible and not blocked by stock or racking
- Isolation valves for individual plant items are labelled and work freely
- Staff know where the valves are and when to use them
- Gas safety interlocks and emergency stop buttons are tested at the intervals the manufacturer or engineer recommends
4. Ventilation and flues
- Plant room and process area ventilation openings are clear
- Flues are intact, supported and terminate where they should
- Any mechanical ventilation linked to a gas interlock is working, so the gas supply shuts off if the fans fail
5. Burners and process plant
- Process burners on ovens, dryers and spray booths are serviced and set up to the manufacturer's figures
- Flame supervision and safety shut-off devices are proved working at each service
- Lock-outs and nuisance trips are logged and investigated, not just reset
6. Boilers and steam plant
- Boilers are serviced at least once a year, and heavily used plant more often
- Burner, controls, safety devices and heat exchanger are inspected as part of the service
- Where you run pressure systems, keep their written scheme of examination and inspection reports with your gas records
7. Contractors on site
- Anyone working on gas plant is Gas Safe registered, and their ID card shows the right non-domestic categories for the job
- Hot work and gas work go through your permit-to-work system
- Contractors leave a written record before they leave site, including anything they have made safe or turned off
- Someone on site signs off that plant has been handed back and is safe to run
8. Plan it, don't chase it
Put every service, inspection and certificate date into one calendar. A planned preventative maintenance contract does this for you, and spreads the work through the year so it fits around production rather than interrupting it.
Gas safety support for Preston sites
SMR Gas Maintenance Ltd are industrial and commercial gas engineers based at Higher Walton, Preston. We have worked only on non-domestic gas since 1999 and we are Gas Safe registered (562186). We inspect and certify gas installations, service boilers, burners and industrial heating, and run planned maintenance contracts across Preston, Lancashire and the North West.
See our Preston gas safety certificates page, or call 07882 898492 or email andy@smrgasservices.co.uk and send us your asset list.
