Gas Safety
This page will cover the importance of gas safety for your business and outlines the regulations in force.
Why does gas safety matter?
An LPG cylinder is effectively a bomb waiting to go off. Failing to take gas safety seriously runs the risk of causing disastrous and potentially major incidents.
There have been several fires and gas explosions reported recently in outside catering units, particularly gazebos, stalls and tented structures. Doubtless many others have gone unreported as well.
When you run a mobile catering business you accept the responsibility to do your utmost to keep everyone around you as safe as you possibly can. That means looking after your customers, your staff and, of course, yourself with appropriate and recommended gas safety practices.
There are a few different regulations which cover the things that mobile caterers need to do to cook food safely when using LPG as a power source.
The Gas Appliances (safety Regulations) 1995
All catering LPG equipment that has been made since 1995 shall be CE marked. Under the CE regulations it will state the uses that the equipment is suitable for (including whether for leisure or commercial purposes).
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
All commercial catering LPG equipment must have a flame failure device (also called a flame supervision device or thermocouple) so that the gas supply will cut out if the flame is extinguished.
Gas Safety in Catering and Hospitality 2013
All catering staff who are involved in the use of LPG need to be trained in how to use it and how to carry out visual checks for faults prior to use. You also need to have safe methods for cleaning equipment in place, allow hot liquids to cool before cleaning and have lockable castors in place if you’ll be moving appliances containing hot liquids.
Read the HSE information sheet >>
Guidance for the Installation of LPG & LPG-Fired Equipment 2012
You must not site LPG cylinders within your trading structure and should keep them in a cage a minimum of 1m from the wall of your structure, with a warning notice on the enclosure.
Commercial Catering Gas Safety 2014
All commercial catering LPG equipment must be routinely checked and serviced by a Gas Safe registered engineer. To be able to sign off mobile catering equipment, the engineer must have the qualification for that specific appliance, within the LPG Mobile Catering ticket.
UKLPG Code of Practice 24
We partnered with Liquid Gas UK in the publication of this Code which is designed to ensure the safe use of LPG at the thousands of outdoor events that take place across the country from festivals and markets, to weddings and sports events – not to mention the increasing number of permanent street food pitches that are popping up across our towns and cities.
This Code provides comprehensive guidance on all aspects of using LPG for cooking in mobile units, tents, marquees and stalls covering areas such as transportation, storage, set up, ventilation and disposal of cylinders.
The UKLPG Code of Practice 24 – Part 3
This COP can be found by clicking here >>
