Any business that has gas powered commercial catering equipment needs to make sure that all appliances are maintained in a safe condition. This includes any appliances using natural gas or LPG in restaurants, hotels, takeaways, mobile catering units or anywhere else providing commercial catering.
What are the gas safe regulations for commercial kitchens and gas catering equipment?
The law places a duty on the employer at any place of work. It is your responsibility to ensure gas catering equipment, appliances and pipe work is maintained in a safe condition to prevent a risk of injury.
This means you need to ensure a qualified, gas safe engineer installs and maintains all gas catering equipment. Getting a gas safety check every 12 months will give you the evidence that this duty has been met.
What gas safe evidence do I need?
The easiest way to prove your gas catering equipment is safe is to keep paperwork that shows your appliances have been safety checked and serviced at least once a year. This needs to be from a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.
Once the safety check has been completed, your engineer should provide you with a safety record of the work. This includes documented evidence that the appliances in your premises are safe.
What is a gas safe engineer?
All gas safe registered businesses have a registration number. All engineers are also issued with ID cards indicating the gas work categories they’re registered for. You need to make sure the engineer is qualified to work on the type of gas supply you have, as well as the type of gas appliances you have.
What does a gas safety check include?
A safety check involves the gas engineer making sure your appliances are working at a safe pressure and airflows are not blocked. They will most likely also check your ventilation, making sure this is clear and that any safety devices are working.
What maintenance does my gas equipment need?
Maintenance includes any servicing or repairs carried out by a suitably registered and qualified gas engineer. This will happen in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Generally, most manufacturers recommend a service every 12 months.
Commercial kitchen gas safety tips
Don’t use domestic kitchen equipment
Domestic appliances won’t be able to cope with the demands of a commercial kitchen. They’ll be susceptible to breakdowns and won’t be able to operate safely. All commercial gas equipment needs to undergo the annual gas safety check. Equipment should have a CE marking plate to prove it meets UK and European safety laws.
Make sure your equipment has an isolation valve
An emergency isolation valve will cut the flow of gas in case something goes wrong with the equipment. all employees should be trained how to use this. A flame failure device should also be fitted on any equipment that uses LPG. This stops gas being released when there is no flame.
Keep your kitchen well ventilated and clean
Conduct regular deep cleaning of your ventilation units and ductwork to prevent the buildup of grease and oils. This minimises the risk of gas equipment starting a fire.
Install a carbon monoxide detector
Your kitchen could be emitting dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, a gas that can cause serious illnesses and potentially death. It’s important you install a commercial model, as it will have better detection than a domestic model.
Looking for gas safe registered engineers or a gas installation for your commercial kitchen? Gardiff are Gas Safe Certified No.524575. We can make sure your gas equipment is compliant with all necessary regulations, install new equipment and conduct repairs to gas appliances. Contact us to get your gas safety quote.
