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Commercial Gas Safety: Servicing, Interlocks and Records
What building owners and kitchen operators need to know about servicing gas plant, ventilation interlocks and keeping certificates.
3 min read
NICEIC, Gas Safe and Refcom
Photos and certificates on every job
Written by our building services team
Gas boilers, water heaters and catering equipment are some of the highest-risk plant in a commercial building. A poorly maintained appliance can leak gas or produce carbon monoxide without anyone noticing.
The legal position
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 require gas appliances and pipework in workplaces to be maintained in a safe condition, and all gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Annual servicing is the accepted way to show you are meeting that duty.
What a commercial service covers
- Burner and combustion checks, with flue gas analysis
- Flue and ventilation checks
- Safety device and control tests
- Tightness testing of the gas installation where needed
- A written record of findings and any defects
Commercial kitchens and interlocks
Kitchens with gas cooking equipment and mechanical extraction should have a gas interlock. It stops the gas supply if the ventilation fails, so combustion products can't build up. BS 6173 covers catering installations, and a missing or bypassed interlock is one of the most common faults found in kitchens.
Keep the paperwork
Keep service records, gas safety certificates and any warning notices together and easy to find. Insurers, environmental health officers and FM auditors will all ask for them.
Need help?
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