WORKPLACE - HEATING - 22.09.2010

Time to service the old boiler

A chill in the air

Because the weather has turned cooler, there have been conversations in the office about turning the heating on. During one such chat, a member of staff stated that they thought all gas boilers had to be inspected by a registered engineer every twelve months. So must you do this?

Legal position

There is an explicit legal requirement to have gas boilers inspected every twelve months, but it only applies to residential premises that are rented out, not commercial ones. In such instances, the landlord is required to issue a certificate to their tenant to prove that all gas appliances in the property have been checked by an engineer.

But you should still do it

Although the law isn’t as explicit for commercial premises, having gas appliances, such as boilers, serviced and inspected at least annually is strongly advisable. This is because it’s the best way of complying with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Although these regulations do not stipulate annual servicing, they do state that any machinery or equipment used must be maintained so that it’s safe. This is another way of saying that you need to have it serviced and checked over regularly.

Tip 1. Another reason why annual servicing isn’t mentioned is because some systems, especially larger and more complex ones, may need more frequent servicing, e.g. every six months. To find out how often your boiler should be serviced and checked, look in the technical documentation supplied with the boiler. If you don’t have it, contact the manufacturer.

Tip 2. All work on gas appliances and systems should be completed by engineers who are registered and approved by the Gas Safe Register Scheme (see The next step). This is the HSE approved body that replaced Corgi in 2009.

Tip 3. We’ve spotted a few engineers who are continuing to promote their membership of the Corgi scheme. This should be ignored. If they aren’t Gas Safe registered, don’t use them - doing so is illegal.

What’s checked?

Different types of boiler will require different work to be carried out, but at the very least the engineer should:

• check the condition of the boiler

• test for leaks

• test the gas pressure

• check valves and the pump

• check the appliance is working correctly

• ensure it’s not producing carbon monoxide

• check that there is adequate ventilation and make sure that the flue is clear and safe.

For further information on the Gas Safe Register, visit http://healthandsafety.indicator.co.uk (HS 09.02.06).