Introduction
In 2006, following the introduction of the Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, the Commission's responsibility increased to include not only the economic regulation of the natural gas industry but also the regulation of natural gas safety. Since then the Commission has been working to put in place systems to fulfil its responsibilities under the Act. There are two key areas of safety that the Commission is involved in - regulation of natural gas installers and regulation of natural gas undertakings. In addition to this the Commission is responsible for investigating natural gas safety incidents when they occur.
Under the provisions of the Act the Commission had to prepare a natural gas safety regulatory framework for the industry setting out how it would regulate all of its safety functions. The Commission outlined its approach for the establishment and operation of the framework in the document ‘A Natural Gas Regulatory Framework for Ireland’ published on October 24th 2007.
Under the Framework:
- The Commission has overall responsibility for the regulation of natural gas safety in Ireland;
- It is an offence for anyone to carry out work on gas works unless they are appropriately certified/registered;
- The Commission has appointed a body to carry out the certification and registration of gas installers;
- All natural gas undertakings will have to develop a safety case covering their work with natural gas.
The Commission's strategic objective in regulating natural gas safety is:
| "To ensure that adequate measures are taken to protect life and property from the dangers associated with natural gas by ensuring that gas related activities within the scope of the Commission's responsibilities are carried out in a safe manner which takes account of and mitigates the risks associated with the storage, transportation, supply and use of natural gas." |
Regulation of Natural Gas Installers
Regulation of Natural Gas Undertakings
Carbon Monoxide
More Information on Safety
Regulation of Natural Gas Installers
The Commission has put in place a national system to regulate the work of all natural gas installers in relation to safety from June 26th 2009. It is now illegal for anyone who is not a Registered Gas Installer (RGI) to work on any domestic natural gas appliance or on any domestic natural gas installation. This includes domestic appliances which are installed in a commercial or industrial setting e.g. gas cooker in canteen of business premises.
How does this work?
The Commission has appointed the Register of Gas Installers of Ireland (RGII) to regulate the safety of Registered Gas Installers (RGI’s) on a day to day basis. This means that anyone who wishes to work on domestic natural gas appliances or installations must now register with the RGII in order to continue working legally within the industry. In order to register, an installer must hold appropriate qualifications and insurance and commit to following the rules of registration. Nore information can be found here www.rgii.ie
What does this mean for me as a customer?
As a user of natural gas you will know that the Registered Gas Installer who carries out the work at your home is qualified and insured to do the job. When a new appliance or installation is carried out you can expect to receive a certificate stating that the job has been completed appropriately and in line with national standards. You can find a list of Registered Gas Installers here www.rgii.ie
What’s included?
At this point in time only Natural Gas is included in this scheme, however legislation is currently being drafted which will extend the register to cover LPG installers. This legislation is expected to come into effect by 2010.
Regulation of Natural Gas Undertakings
In addition to regulating natural gas installers, the Commission is responsible for regulating natural gas undertakings. These are the companies involved in the storage, transportation, distribution and supply of natural gas. Under their licences, these companies will be required to develop a safety case which covers the way in which they operate to ensure this is done in a safe way.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon Monoxide is colourless and odorless. It can be released as part of the combustion process when burning natural gas. For more information on carbon monoxide visit www.carbonmonoxide.ie
More Information on Safety
Bord Gáis Networks has developed comprehensive information on safety which can be found on their website.