Guide on Gas Safety Check Records and What to Keep

Gas has become an essential part of every home and commercial or business premises. In general, gas is considered a safe and economical energy source. However, it can be dangerous if not used by the safety standards stipulated in the gas safety regulations.

The main risk associated with gas is the possibility of fire or explosion. A faulty gas appliance or a gas leak can result in a fire or explosion at any time. The leak may be from the gas appliances or the associated pipework. Another serious threat is the emission of harmful gases, such as carbon monoxide. This can occur due to malfunctioning burners. Incomplete combustion results in the emission of this harmful gas. To reduce the chances of any such mishap, conducting a gas safety inspection on all gas appliances, including flues, boilers, and pipework is a legal requirement.

Understanding Gas Safety Inspection

A gas safety check or inspection is the complete examination of all gas appliances and related gas pipework by a qualified gas safety engineer. The engineer will have to visit the premises for a physical examination of all appliances to ensure that they are working properly and are fit for use. The engineer will notify the landlord if any gas pipelines, fittings, or appliances are found faulty. The landlord will be required to get the faults removed immediately or otherwise replace the faulty appliances or fittings with new ones.

This activity is a legal requirement under the UK's prevailing rules and regulations and must be done annually. The relevant law legally binds the landlords to conduct this annual inspection. The basic requirement for getting the Gas Safety Certificate, or CP 12.

Gas Safety Regulations

The basic law that regulates the use of gas in homes and commercial premises is known as “Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998,” it was further amended in 2018 under the caption "The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2018”.

The above law and its subsequent amendment have made it compulsory for landlords to obtain gas safety certificates for their properties. This certificate can be issued by a gas safety engineer, who must be registered with the official organization in the UK, referred to as the Gas Safe Register. After conducting a comprehensive safety check on all the gas appliances installed on your property, the engineer will give you the required gas safety certificate.

Basics of the Gas Safety Regulations

The gas safety regulations impose some legal obligations on the landlords to ensure the safety of their premises' occupants. Here are some of the main points they must comply with.

• The landlords are required to ensure the safety of their tenants against the possible threats associated with the gas, such as fire, explosion, and generation of harmful gases.
• The landlords are bound to get their properties inspected for gas safety annually. A registered gas safety engineer must do this.
• Annual gas safety inspection must be conducted on all gas installations and appliances, including boilers and flues.
• The gas safety engineer will issue a gas safety certificate if the appliances and installations comply with the gas safety standards.
• Gas safety certificates, also known as gas safety records, will remain valid for 12 months. It must be renewed before the expiry of the current certificate.
• Renewal can be done in the last two months of the gas safety certificate currency.
• The landlords are bound to provide a copy of the gas safety certificate to their current tenants within 48 hours and 28 days to their new tenants.
• The responsibility of landlords is restricted to the gas appliances they install on the rented property. They are not responsible for the safety of appliances installed by the tenants. The tenants must ensure the safety of such appliances on their own. However, the gas safety engineer should also check these appliances during annual inspections.
• If one or more of the installed gas appliances develop some fault at any time, the landlords must arrange its inspection and removal of the faults. If recommended or suggested by the engineer, you may also be required to replace the faulty appliances for the safety of the tenants.
• The landlords are also responsible for routine maintenance and servicing gas appliances, boilers, and flues.

Validity of Gas Safety Check Records

Per the provisions of the gas safety regulations, the gas safety check records or, specifically, the Gas Safety Certificate is valid for 12 months. That means you have to get it renewed before its expiry date. However, there was confusion about the validity after the renewal of this certificate. So, if you get it renewed in the last one or two months before expiry, the next renewal would fall exactly after 12 months. Hence, you may have to do 11 renewals in 10 years.

For example, if the expiry date falls on 30th September 2023 and you got it renewed on 10th September 2023, the next expiry would fall on 9th September 2024 instead of 30th September 2024. So each time, the length of the gas safety certificate currency shrinks.

After an amendment in 2018, this ambiguity has been removed. The expiry date will remain constant, irrespective of the actual renewal date. Hence, in the above example, even if you get the gas safety check renewed at any time, say in September or August 2023, the next expiration would invariably fall on 30th September 2024.

Gas Safety Check – What is Involved in it?

Here’s a brief list of tasks that must be done during the annual gas safety inspection.

1. The engineer needs to ensure that proper ventilation is in place at the premises.
2. He needs to ensure that all gas fittings and connections are firm enough to avoid leaks.
3. He will verify that all gas safety devices are properly installed at the right locations and are working as expected.
4. He will verify that the gas pressure is as per standards in all the burners and boilers.
5. He will check all the gas appliances, flues, boilers, and burners for flawless performance. If any of them is declared faulty by him, you must get the fault fixed immediately. If any of these appliances is not repairable, you may have to replace it.
6. If there’s a major issue with the leakage of gas, he may disconnect the main supply line, till the time, leakage is fixed.
7. If the engineer is satisfied with the performance of each gas appliance fitted in your premises, he will give you the Gas Safety Certificate, which will be valid for the next year.

Gas Safety Check Record – What Needs to be Recorded?

The gas safety engineer should invariably bring on record the following important points. He needs to record:

1. Details of all the appliances, flues, or any other gas fittings were checked, with their exact location on the premises.
2. Date of inspection.
3. Name and address of the landlord.
4. Address and location of the property where the inspection was done.
5. Details of faults and defects detected by the engineer.
6. The engineer will confirm that the safety check was done strictly under paragraphs (a) to (d) of regulation 26(9) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
7. The name, registration number, and contact number of the gas safety engineer should also be mentioned on the gas safety check record, commonly known as the Gas Safety Certificate or CP12

Gas Safety Check Record – What Needs to be Kept?

Once you receive the official copy of the Gas Safety Certificate, you need to keep it in safe custody for any future reference and also give a copy of it to the tenants. Here are some useful tips on what to keep in record and for how long.

1. The Gas Safety Check Record should be kept on paper in safe custody.
2. You can also save a scanned copy of this certificate.
3. If the engineer gives you the certificate in digital form, that is valid and can be stored safely on your laptop or mobile.
4. The gas safety check record must be kept in record for two years, per the provisions of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
5. Though not required per the law, it is advisable to keep the record for more time for any future reference, especially when claiming a warranty of a certain gas appliance.
6. It should also be ensured that all the gas appliances, including the flues and boilers, are invariably mentioned in the record given by the gas safety engineer. You don’t need to get separate records for each appliance.
7. For the convenience and information of the tenants, you may also display a copy of the CP 12 at any prominent place in your rented property. However, the tenants must be provided a copy of the same if any of them demand.

Conclusion

A gas safety check is essential for all rented properties, including homes and commercial or business premises. It is important to keep your property safe for the occupants. An annual activity must be done by a registered gas safety engineer, who must be registered with the gas safe register.

This annual inspection has to be done on all the gas fittings and appliances at your property to ensure that they are functioning perfectly and not causing any emissions. The gas safety check record given by the engineer should be kept in safe custody for at least two years, per the requirement of relevant regulations. You can keep this record stored in paper form or digitally, but in any case, you must provide a valid copy to your tenants on demand. So, don’t forget to get it done; it’s your legal obligation as a landlord.