Gas safety checklist

You must be a licenced or registered gasfitter with the additional endorsement on that licence to Service and Maintain Type A Gas Appliances. A registered person in this endorsed class must work under the supervision of a person who holds a licence to Service Type A Gas Appliances.

Yes. The checklist can be used for both purposes.

Rental providers must keep a record of a gas safety check.

Keeping a checklist completed by the gasfitter is one way rental providers can comply with their obligations. It is also recommended the gasfitter maintain a copy for their records.

Yes. All appliances must be serviced during a gas safety check.

Gas safety checks must be completed every two years.

Yes. For single residential dwellings and for residential apartment buildings where the gas supply can be isolated to each individual apartment.

For residential apartment buildings where the gas supply cannot be isolated to each individual apartment then gas leakage should be checked from the gas isolation valve for each gas appliance.

Yes. Open flued gas space heaters and indoor open flued water heaters should be tested for spillage of combustion products due with all extraction systems including bathroom exhaust fans and kitchen rangehoods operating in the house.

Room sealed appliances and ducted heaters should also be tested for spillage of combustion products due to cracks in heat exchangers.

If there are signs of overheating or scorching of the overhead surfaces or if the potential for flaring to ignite grease filters exists then the installation is considered immediately dangerous and needs to be disconnected.

AS/NZS5601.1 requires that the overhead clearance to any surface shall not be less than 450mm so any lesser clearance should also be considered immediately dangerous.

Where the clearance is greater than 450mm and where there is no sign of overheating of surfaces including rangehood grease filters then the installation is not considered immediately dangerous but is non-compliant.

The non-compliance should be recorded and the rental provider should be advised with a recommendation to address the non-compliance.

The only requirements of the Standard that are applicable are those that are published at the time of installation

Complete the gas safety check as per your contractual arrangement with the rental provider (previously referred to as the landlord). This includes providing a report on the gas safety check to the rental provider. The rental provider is required to ensure a gas safety check is carried out every 2 years and the report is kept until the next gas safety check is completed.

The gas safety check requires you to:

Carry out a gas fitting line test to check for gas leaks,

Inspect the gas appliance installation to identify safety-critical non-compliances which need to be made safe by rectifying the installation or isolating the gas supply and recording the non-compliances

Inspect the gas appliance installation to identify non-safety critical non-compliances, which should be recorded as part of the gas safety check,

Complete a service of all the gas appliances

Note: All service work needs to be completed by gas fitters who hold either a registration or license in the specialised class of Type A Gas Appliance Servicing.

To answer this it is important to go back to the principles of preventing harm by eliminating the potential of a gas incident. A gas incident is defined by the Gas Safety Act as:

“gas incident” means any incident or event relating to the conveyance, supply or use of gas which causes or has the potential to cause—

(a) the death of or injury to a person; or

(b) significant damage to property; or

(c) an explosion

Examples of a safety-critical non-compliance include but are not limited to the following:

• Gas leakage
• Spillage of combustion products caused by for example cracked heater exchangers or lack of ventilation
• Overheating of surrounding surfaces resulting in scorching with the potential for fire

If you identify that an appliance or installation has a safety-critical non-compliance you have a responsibility to inform the occupants, in this case, the tenants of the property, to ensure their safety. You must also inform the rental provider of how you can rectify the problem; e.g. install permanent ventilation, replace heat exchangers, replace the appliance, etc. You must also obtain the rental provider’s permission to rectify the problem.

If the rental provider refuses to allow you to rectify the problem then you must inform the rental provider of your obligation to make the installation safe by isolating the gas supply to the entire installation, (in the case of a safety-critical gas leak), or the individual appliance. If the rental provider refuses to allow you to make the installation safe then you should contact ESV via the gas technical enquiry line 1800 652 563 and select option 3.

In order for a rental provider to discharge their obligation under the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021, they require to have a record of a gas safety check on file.

The gas safety check should outline what work you carried out including all service work and tests conducted. The service work must be reported to the VBA on their on-line gas servicing portal

As part of the gas safety check you should also note any observations of non-compliant matters. The record must be provided to the rental provider who will decide on whether identified non-compliances will be rectified or pursued through the VBA depending on the date of the installation. To assist ESV has updated the Gas Safety Checklist:

Note: This document is provided as-is and is uncontrolled once downloaded and/or printed. A PDF will replace this file soon.

As mentioned previously safety-critical non-compliances must be addressed immediately.

If the appliance is connected via a flexible hose in accordance with AS/NZS5601.1 or via coiled copper so that the appliance can be moved forward to access the appliance regulator then the installation is deemed compliant provided the appliance can be moved forward without disconnecting the fitting line and without compromising your safety.

When taking pressure measurements during commissioning you must be aware that the appliance may become hot to touch. In these circumstances, you should take the necessary precautions to ensure your own safety.