Mobile & Event Catering
How Do I Get A Gas Safety Certificate / Gas Safety Record?
This isn't just a matter of getting a certificate, this is a matter of Life and Death.
Stop. Don't just view Gas & Electrical Safety as obtaining a certificate. These issues really are a matter of life and death. Stop. Don't just view Gas & Electrical Safety as obtaining a certificate. These issues really are a matter of life and death.
It sounds melodramatic, but really what you should be doing is ensuring that:
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You don't kill or injure any member of the public
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You don't kill or injure any member of staff
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You don't kill or injure yourself
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You don't end up in prison
We're not being over zealous about this issue or trying to scare you, but Gas can kill and injure, and the person responsible for the issue could go to prison.
Have A Look At This Video To See The Effect A Gas Leak Has On A Burger Van.
This burger van gas explosion could have killed everyone in the van as well as causing extensive injuries to anyone in the vicinity. Don't think that this is not going to happen to you.
In 2012 there were over 30 injuries from Gas related incidents, such as this one at Camp Bestival. Have a look at this one at the Manchester Food & Drink Festival in 2011. These are only a few of the incidents that we are aware of. Accidents like these happen because people do not follow proper guidelines.
What Are The Guidelines For Gas?
Legislation of specific relevance to catering businesses regarding gas safety, installation & maintenance:
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The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974
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The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999
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The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
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The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
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The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
These documents set out the requirements that must be met to comply with the law.
There are thousands of pages of hard-to-read technical information and the potential criminal and civil actions that can be a consequence of noncompliance, including your insurer refusing you cover as a consequence of not keeping within the law.
How Can I Be Compliant?
What You Must Do
DO - Ensure that gas equipment is installed and maintained by an appropriately qualified Gas Safe registered engineer. You will need to provide evidence that this has been done.
DO - Ensure that the engineer is qualified to work on the equipment that you are using. For Mobile Catering units, the engineer must be registered to work on: Commercial Mobile Catering and LPG, and the type of appliance that you have e.g. Commercial Catering Range Cookers LPG.
DO - Check that engineers are competent to undertake the work you need them to. The onus is on you. You can check that they are registered by going by telephoning the Gas Safe Register on 0800 408 5500.
DO - Maintain your equipment. You need to have your equipment inspected, serviced and repaired according to the manufacturers instructions by a qualified engineer. Generally the maximum period between services is 12 months.
DO - Read the Codes of Practice for Gas Safety for your Mobile Catering unit. You can download them from this page. They have been written by NCASS specifically for the Mobile Catering Industry.
What You Must NOT Do
DO NOT- attempt to FIT, FIX OR MOVE gas appliances yourself, no matter what it is. Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning, and will invalidate your insurance.
DO NOT - attempt to REMOVE gas appliances yourself, it's dangerous.
NEVER block or cover air vents and flues - they might be essential for your gas appliances to work safely.