Installation, Use and Maintenance of Gas Appliances in Kitchens

Background

The HSE has issued guidance clarifying standards relating to installation, use and maintenance of gas appliances in kitchens. These standards are set out in HSE Catering Information sheet 23 which can be downloaded from the HSE website. Go to 'Search HSE website' at the top of the front page of the website.

In many cases kitchen equipment in schools, although serviceable, is quite old and does not comply with current legislative and British Standard requirements. Kitchens can be shut down if appropriate standards are not met and this MI sheet reminds schools of their responsibilities in this area.

Actions for schools:

Interlocking of mechanical ventilation system and gas supplies

Where 'type B' appliances are fitted under a canopy (e.g. deep fat fryers and some convection ovens), the canopy will require an interlock that will shut off the gas supply in the event of an air movement failure. This is a requirement under the law (the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998) and the relevant British Standard covering installation of gas fired catering appliances, BS 6173 2001.

Where gas interlocks are not fitted, schools should plan to have them installed as soon as reasonably practicable and should take advice from their Building Surveyor or other suitably qualified consultant. The removal of 'type B' appliances would not negate the need for the implementation of the above as the future upgrade of any extraction system or cooking appliances in your kitchen will require the interlocking improvement to be installed.

Maintenance and Inspection

Schools must ensure that gas appliances are maintained and inspected by a competent person from a company that must be CORGI-registered and operatives must have a valid certificate of competence relevant to the particular type of gas work involved. The competent person will indicate at regular (annual) inspections whether or not the gas interlock for type B appliances as set out above is required as an immediate action on the basis of potential risk to employees.

Schools who are in the Building Maintenance Partnership Pool (BMPP) will have this service inspection carried out for them on an annual basis.

Schools that are not in BMPP will need to, if they have not already, make their own arrangements for appropriate annual inspections to take place and report them on-line as set out in the MI Sheet 102/06 that has already been distributed to schools.

Flame Supervision

BS 6173 recommends that all gas appliances with enclosed burners (e.g. ovens) must be fitted with flame supervision devices, i.e. devices that shut the gas supply off automatically if the flame disappears. HSE catering information sheet 23 states, however, that retrofitting of flame supervision to existing equipment in use is generally not necessary and is content to allow such appliances to continue to be used and replaced as and when new equipment is bought, unless the risks in particular cases (as identified by a CORGI registered competent person) make flame supervision necessary.

Further Advice and Guidance

Additional advice and guidance is available from the following contacts:-

NPS Property Consultants - Tony Burton on Tel: 01603 706129

NCS Catering - Colin Appleby

Children's Services Health and Safety Advisers - Paul Commins on Tel 01603 223470 and Martin Morley on Tel 01603 223989.