Important Gas Safety Regulations to come into force on 6th April 2018

27th March 2018

Subject to being approved by Parliament, the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (GSUIR) will come into force on 6 April 2018.  The Approved Code of Practice and guidance will then apply. This gives guidance on how to meet the requirements of the Regulations, and is for anyone who may have a duty under the GSIUR, including those who install, service, maintain or repair gas appliances and other gas fittings, thus ensuring safety in the installation and use of gas systems and appliances. Landlords also have duties under these regulations.

Main changes to the legislation

The changes to GSIUR, which do not relax regulatory requirements or reduce safety standards, are to:

  • Introduce a degree of flexibility to the timing of landlords’ annual gas safety checks. This MOT-style change means that landlords can carry out the annual gas safety check in the two months before the due date and retain the existing expiry date.  This avoids landlords waiting until the last minute and not gaining access, or having to shorten the annual cycle check to comply with the law. There is no change to the legal requirement for an annual gas safety check or for maintenance to be carried out
  • Incorporate an existing exemption into law to carry out alternative checks in situations where there is no meter to directly measure the heat input and it is not possible to measure the operating pressure, and extend the scope slightly to include situations where the meter is not accessible or the meter display is not working
  • Disapply most of the requirements of GSIUR for installations fed by a dedicated gas supply, which are primarily used to supply compressed natural gas (CNG) to vehicles and which incorporate at least one gas compressor with an electric motor input power rating exceeding 5 kilowatts, bringing them in line with other industrial premises. Other more appropriate regulations already apply to these premises

The current legislation will continue to apply up to and including 5 April 2018, along with the Approved Code of Practice and guidance supporting it.

The S2 Partnership seeks to support landlords in meeting all regulatory obligations and risk management objectives, through consultancy and software support. If there are any areas that you would like to discuss in more detail, please contact us.