Page 43 - Gi flipbook April 2018

IGEM issues update to

Gas Industry Unsafe

Situations Procedure

clarify the visual risk assessments
process; however, the required
process itself has not been changed.
No changes have been made to
the classifications published within
this procedure.
All registered engineers have a
duty to keep abreast of changes to
this regulation.
Any person found to be completing
work unsafely could face prosecution
by the Health & Safety Executive
under the Gas Safety Installation and
Use Regulations (1998).
This latest update to the GIUSP has
been made in conjunction with the
Gas Industry Unsafe Situations
Procedure working group, which
contributed to the changes that have
been made. ■

A NEW UPDATE of the Gas Industry previous version, in order to prevent ■ The procedure is available to view
Unsafe Situations Procedure (GIUSP) any confusion. This latest update makes for free on IGEM’s website www.
is now available from IGEM. only minimal changes to the procedure, igem.org.uk. It can also be viewed by
The new edition, published on 1 including bringing the layout and some registered gas engineers in the
March, comes into effect on 1 June of the wording into line with other Engineer area of the Gas Safe
2018 and supersedes Edition 7.1 of the published IGEM standards. Register site, www.gassaferegister.
GIUSP, which has now been withdrawn. The phrase ‘responsible engineers’, co.uk. The procedure can be
The procedure provides guidance used in the previous edition, has been purchased in hard copy from
to Gas Safe registered businesses/ changed to ‘competent engineers’, to www.gassafetyshop.co.uk.
engineers for dealing with unsafe clarify that only those deemed to be
situations in domestic and non-domestic legally competent are allowed to
premises supplied with natural gas or work with gas and LPG appliances.
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Minor changes have also been GET INVOLVED IN
This guidance covers how registered made to some of the scenarios listed IGEM’S STANDARDS
engineers should make visual in ‘Table 1: Giving guidance on
assessments on any appliances/ particular situations and how to WE TAKE great pride in our
installations they encounter or work categorise them’, to provide clarity standards and are always on the
on, and outlines the instances where on the requirements of certain lookout for new panel members. If
appliances/installations deemed to be situations, where queries have been you are working in the industry and
unsafe should be classified as either made by gas engineers. believe you can make a
‘Immediately Dangerous’ or ‘At Risk’. For example, under Table 1, Scenario contribution to the review process
IGEM took over legal ownership of 3.13 refers to visual assessments of then please contact the Technical
the Unsafe Situations Procedure in gas pipework located within a cavity Services team. Panels that are still
February 2017, under the governance wall or void, but which is not within a looking for volunteers include:
of its Technical Co-ordinating purpose-designed duct in accordance GM/5 Electronic gas meter
Committee (TCC). This new GIUSP with appropriate standards. This volume conversion systems,
update is the first to be published by situation should be classified as ‘At IGEM/SR/18 Safe working
IGEM since that date. Risk’, however the procedure has been practices to ensure the integrity of
Previously, the standard was amended to note that this does not gas pipelines and associated
overseen by a working group of include instances where un-sleeved installations, IGEM/SR/23 Venting
stakeholders from across the industry. pipework passes directly across a of natural gas, and IGEM/SR/25
IGEM has, wherever possible, kept cavity by the shortest possible route. Hazardous area classification. ■
the new document the same as the Changes have also been made to

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