GSIUR 1998: HSE Gas Safety Rules

Regulatory citation: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/2451)

What Are the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations?

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) cover the safe installation, maintenance and use of gas fittings, appliances and flues in Great Britain. They apply to gas as defined in the Gas Act 1986, including piped natural gas and LPG, in homes and most commercial premises. They place duties on gas engineers, employers, the self-employed, people in control of premises and landlords.

Why Gas Safety Matters

Faulty gas work can cause fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide has no smell or colour, so people may not know they are at risk. GSIUR makes competent work, safe appliances and regular checks a legal requirement.

Core Obligations

1. Know Where the Regulations Apply (reg 2)

Work on a gas fitting includes installing, servicing, adjusting, repairing, altering, disconnecting and removing it. Some premises are excluded, such as mines, quarries, factories, agricultural premises and temporary construction installations, but these are covered where they include domestic or residential parts or sleeping accommodation.

2. Use Competent, Registered Gas Engineers (reg 3)

No one may carry out work on a gas fitting or gas storage vessel unless competent. Employers and self-employed people must not do, or let employees do, work on gas fittings or service pipework unless they are members of a class of persons approved by HSE. HSE explains that gas engineering businesses must be on the Gas Safe Register, which has operated since 1 April 2009. Anyone in control of the work or arranging it at their premises must also ensure competence.

3. Install Only Safe Appliances (reg 26(1))

No person may install a gas appliance unless it can be used without constituting a danger to any person.

4. Check Appliances After Work (reg 26(9))

Immediately after working on a gas appliance, the engineer must check the effectiveness of any flue, the supply of combustion air, the operating pressure or heat input (or combustion performance), and safe functioning. Defects must be reported to the responsible person.

5. Use Room-Sealed Appliances in Certain Rooms (reg 30)

Gas appliances installed in bathrooms or shower rooms must be room-sealed. In sleeping accommodation, gas fires, space heaters and water heaters over 14 kW gross heat input must be room-sealed. Those of 14 kW or less must be room-sealed or fitted with a safety device that shuts the appliance down before dangerous levels of combustion products build up.

6. Do Not Use Dangerous Appliances (regs 34 and 35)

A responsible person must not use, or allow the use of, an appliance they know or suspect is unsafe. Employers and self-employed people must ensure gas appliances, pipework and flues at workplaces under their control are maintained in a safe condition.

7. Landlords: Maintain and Check Annually (reg 36)

Landlords of relevant residential lets must maintain gas appliances, pipework and flues in a safe condition. Each appliance and flue must have a safety check by a registered engineer within 12 months of installation and at intervals of no more than 12 months. A check done within two months before the deadline is treated as done on the deadline date (reg 36A).

8. Landlords: Keep and Share Records (reg 36)

The safety check record must be kept until two further checks have been done, or for two years after the last check if the appliance or flue has been removed. Existing tenants must receive a copy within 28 days of the check, and new tenants before they move in. For stays of 28 days or less, the record may be displayed prominently instead.

Common Compliance Approaches

Verify Registration

Check that the engineer is registered and qualified for the type of work, such as domestic or commercial gas.

Run a Gas Asset Register

List appliances and flues by property with their check dates, so annual checks are not missed.

Example: Gas Safety in Practice

A housing association manages 900 rented homes with gas boilers. Its system flags each home 10 months after the last check, and contractors book visits inside the two-month window so the anniversary date is kept. Engineers upload the record on the day, and tenants receive a copy by email within a week. When an engineer finds a boiler with a blocked flue, he makes it safe and reports it, and the association arranges a repair before the boiler is used again.

Related regulations: PSSR pressure systems, DSEAR explosive atmospheres, RIDDOR incident reporting.

Note: This summary reflects the law as it applies in Great Britain, enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities. Northern Ireland has equivalent but separate legislation. Always check the current legislation and HSE guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often must landlords have a gas safety check?

Each appliance and flue must be checked within 12 months of installation and then at intervals of no more than 12 months. A check carried out in the two months before the deadline keeps the original anniversary date.

Who can carry out gas work?

Only a competent person who is a member of the HSE-approved class. HSE explains that gas engineering businesses must be on the Gas Safe Register.

When must tenants get the gas safety record?

Existing tenants must receive a copy within 28 days of the check. New tenants must receive a copy of the latest record before they move in.