Gas Industry Safety Group Report
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Executive Summary
A full copy of this report with Appendixes can be obtained by contacting GISG
Background
This study has been undertaken on behalf of the Gas Industry Safety Group (GISG) to benchmark domestic gas safety in Great Britain (GB) against a number of countries recognised as having a good safety record. The aim of the work has been to compare legislation, custom and practice, and the outcomes of different safety regimes, establishing the principal factors that have contributed to good safety records and which could make a positive contribution to the GB safety regime.
Method
The scope of the information gathered has covered four aspects of the downstream gas industry: installation and maintenance, appliances, carbon monoxide and emergency response provision. The study has involved gathering information via a questionnaire distributed to a number of contacts in different countries and also through personal/telephone interviews in order to obtain the most accurate picture available. The selection of comparator countries and the content of the questionnaire were agreed with GISG representatives prior to data being collected. The data obtained has been collated and interpreted to compare and contrast the safety activities, highlighting in particular where GB differs from comparator countries. The formal replies often required clarification and provided an opportunity to discuss the responses with the individuals concerned and obtain a less formal, and even cultural, perspective.
Conclusions
A number of key issues have been noted during an analysis of the information and the report highlights areas where GB is out of step with comparator countries. In particular, all the comparator countries report a lower number of gas-related fatalities per domestic consumer than GB. An increased coverage and frequency of installation inspections in GB to the level expected in comparator countries would identify unsafe situations earlier and would be expected to lead to improved safety performance. Initiatives to increase the proportion of room-sealed appliances would also result in an improved safety record and this could also be verified with past incident data. On the positive side, analysis of data collected shows that GB is in the forefront of carrying out detailed incident investigations and analyses and has a good emergency response service.
Recommendations
Based on conclusions derived from this study, it is recommended that GISG give active consideration to the following issues.
In GB, mandatory safety inspections are only presently required annually on tenanted accommodation. GB could adopt the practice in Japan where gas suppliers undertake mandatory safety checks on a regular basis and/or that in France where checks are required whenever there is a change of dwelling tenancy or ownership. This would broaden safety check coverage to owner occupied dwellings and increase the frequency of checks being carried out.
GB could do more to promote a greater proportion of room-sealed appliances being installed.
Scope exists in GB for improving awareness of carbon monoxide as an issue in the domestic environment. In Japan and Germany field workers such as engineers conducting service/maintenance and/or safety inspections, are trained to raise safety awareness as part of their role during home visits. Also, in Japan and USA/Canada safety awareness has been raised through the marketing of specific safety products such as CO alarms and this could be used in safety promotions in GB.
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Ed - There is nothing here that we have not been saying for over 12 months. Gas safety has been overshadowed principally by vested interests for too long in the UK. But have you noticed that vested interest motif continues in the report ?
