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igem news

STANDARDS

THE SITUATION ROOM

Ahead of the relaunch of IGEM’s Gas Industry Unsafe
Situations Procedure, Dave Bendle, Chair of the
IGEM/G/11 working group, presents the main changes to
the document

THE GAS INDUSTRY Unsafe Situations (to prevent an email being sent later,
Procedure (IGEM G/11) is an essential if using an electronic format) and the
document for competent gas engineers. importance of leaving a notice on site if
While others may use it as a reference no one is present. The document states:
point, it is the competent engineer on Complete a ‘warning notice’ which shall
site that must make the final decision emphasise the words ‘DANGER DO NOT Clause 8.7: New section covering
based on the site risk assessment of USE’. Regardless of the format used 7 reporting theft of gas meter
the situation encountered. This is, obtain a signature from the gas user/ tampering, etc. While not always
essentially, their basic duty under both responsible person as both a record of an unsafe situation, it was thought
the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act receipt and understanding. Before leaving appropriate to provide advice to
of 1974 (HSWA) and the Gas Safety site, a copy shall be issued to the gas user/ engineers here within the document.
Installation & Use Regulations (GSIUR). responsible person and keep a copy for
The requirement to treat each your records. If no one is present, leave a Section 9: Tables. A precis of the
situation individually is covered by the copy on site to alert any future user to the 8 RIDDOR reporting criteria added to
statement “the competent engineer shall danger. See clause f) if the user is not the each header as a reminder along with
be able to justify their rationale based on owner/responsible person. the Gas Safe reporting route.
the situation on site – the examples in
this document are generic”. Clause 8.3: Reaffirmation of RIDDOR Notable new/revised table
Again, this reinforces the point that 4 criteria. The wording of RIDDOR 9 examples:
the person on site should be competent 11(2) highlights the triggers for 3.11: Revised scenario example to
in assessing the risk and confirming reporting; for example, the situation include situations where the position
that the classification applied is has caused or is likely to cause: or lack of support makes damage, etc.,
appropriate. It is also a reminder that Death highly foreseeable.
the tables shown within the document Unconsciousness 6.6: Revised scenario example
are generic examples. Or a person being taken to hospital wording to clarify the defect must
Ahead of the relaunch of this The ‘sub requirements’ of by design, be severe enough to make failure
document, here are some of the construction, servicing, etc., leading a likelihood. Hopefully, this avoids
changes we have made which could to an escape of gas/product of unnecessary ‘defecting’ just because a
affect the way you work: combustion, etc., are detailed later in single screw is missing which does not
the clause. It was believed the incorrect affect the flue’s integrity.
Note added to Section 6 clarifying use of RIDDOR 11(2) was partly due 6.7: has been combined into 6.6
1 emergency service providers (ESPs) the criteria of gas escape, leakage of 7.2: Scenario revised to cover
are those best equipped/trained to combustion products, etc., appearing missing or damaged test points or
respond to reported gas escapes. in the regulation as specific statements seal, highlighting which scenario is
(listed a to c), leading the recipient to RIDDOR reportable – assuming due to
New note in Section 6.1 advising the believe these were the trigger points ‘poor workmanship’.
2 engineer to remain on site where rather than the likelihood of death, etc. 13.9: New scenario covering LPG
possible if disconnection is refused regulators
and the ESP is called. This allows for Clauses 8.4 and 8.6: Details on how
the situation to be explained to the first 5 to report unsafe workmanship to Updated contacts in Table 2:
call operative (FCO), giving a thorough Gas Safe Register. This allows reporting 10 Contact Details of Gas Emergency
understanding of the actions taken of situations that would previously Service Providers (ESPs) and Gas
prior to their attendance. have been incorrectly reported under Suppliers (GSs) In The British Isles
RIDDOR. Work has been done with Gas
Text revision in Section 6, clauses Safe Register to make the reporting Appendix 5: Visual Risk
3 6.1e and 6.2.1e for both ‘Immediately process on their website easier. 11 Assessment. Statement added:
Dangerous’ (ID) and ‘At Risk’ (AR). This “Generally, a visual risk assessment
allows for use of electronic records, Clause 8.6: Note added referencing is for visually apparent defects only and
but stresses the need for a signature to 6 flowchart 7. The flowchart details the does not require moving an appliance or
confirm understanding, that regardless reporting route decision process upon any building infrastructure unless the
of format it shall be issued while on site discovery of an unsafe situation. engineer has concerns.”

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19/11/2020 16:16
IGEMNews_G11.indd 2
IGEMNews_G11.indd 2 19/11/2020 16:16