Gas safety

Ensure you use a competent person to check/work on my gas appliances

You are required by Regulation 4 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 to take reasonable steps to ensure the person doing the work is registered with the Gas Safe Register. You also have to ensure they are competent to carry out the work.

How to check that the engineer is competent

All Gas Safe registered engineers have an ID card with their licence number and a photograph, which you can check by visiting the Gas Safe Register website (external link) or phoning them on 0800 408 5500.

You must check the ID card of the engineer.

On the front of the ID card remember to check:

• licence number
• start date
• expiry date
• security hologram

On the back of the ID card remember to check:

• your engineer is qualified for the work to be done
• their qualifications are up-to-date

To carry out gas work in catering establishments your gas engineer must have the CCCN1- Commercial Catering Core Gas Safety Assessment. This will be shown on the back of his/her ID card by the word “Catering” under “Non-Domestic”.

The ID card will only tell you whether he/she is competent in working on non-domestic catering appliances and natural gas or LPG and the date to which his/her qualifications are valid. You should also ensure he/she is competent to work on your particular gas equipment. 

Gas categories

There are 5 categories you need to be aware of when employing a gas engineer.

Commercial Catering Range Cookers (COMCAT 1)

This category is fired by atmospheric burners only and come under the general heading of boiling burners; open/solid top ranges; combination ovens; forced convention ovens; natural convection ovens – direct and semi direct; expansion type water boilers; boiling pans – directly and indirectly heated; bulk liquid and jacketed urns’; gas-fired dish washers; gas heated rinsing sinks; bratt pans; boiling tables; ancillary equipment such as pizza ovens; tandoors and heated woks.

Commercial Catering Pressure/Expansion (COMCAT 2)

Are all fired by atmospheric burners only and come under the general heading of water boilers, which include pressure steamers and pressurised steaming ovens.

Commercial Catering Fat & Pressure Fryers (COMCAT 3)

Are all fired by atmospheric burners only and come under the general heading of deep fat fryers and pressure fryers, which include: griddles; simulated charcoal grills; grills over/under fired and salamander grills.

Fish and Chip Ranges (COMCAT 4) 

Commercial gas catering fish and chip ranges.

Commercial Catering Forced Draught Burners (COMCAT 5)

Covers all forced draught burner appliances.

There are also specific qualifications for mobile's/vehicle’s gas appliances. Please contact the Gas Safe Register for further information.