BSS Live aboard

[Chewbacka]

You are incorrect. Please cite the law and clause thereof that says this. (Clue: you won't be able to)

I think you are correct, but it is worth adding that the law does require that the do-it-yourself gas engineers need to have the required competence. The level and range of competence should match the full extent of work done. Should something go wrong you may be called upon to show why you thought you were competent.

If you pay someone to do work for you - cash or some other benefit - then they must be Gas safe registered.

I do not mean to be rude, and I know nothing about your skill level, but if you do not know what a bubble tester is (going back a couple of posts) I would suggest you consider carefully your skill level before 'having a go'.

 

Added

 

But if you look at the HSE notes

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l56.pdf

 

"51 For the purposes of these Regulations, ‘work’ includes do-it-yourself activities,

work undertaken as a favour for friends and relatives, and work for which there is

no expectation of reward or gain, eg voluntary activity for charities. This means that

anyone carrying out such work must have the necessary competence, as required

by regulation 3(1). However, membership of an HSE approved class of persons

(under regulation 3(3)) is required only by businesses carrying out gas fitting work."

and then sections 82 & 84

"82 Anyone who does work on a gas fitting or gas storage vessel must be competent to do so (whether or not they are required to be a member of an approved class of persons). Therefore, do-it-yourself gas engineers and those performing favours for friends and relatives all need to have the required competence. The level and range of competence should match the full extent of work done, but needs only to be sufficient for and relevant to that work.

"84 Competence is a combination of practical skill, training, knowledge and experience to carry out the job in hand safely, and ensuring the installation is left in a safe condition for use. Knowledge must be kept up-to-date with changes in the law, technology and safe working practice"

Note - I only work on my own gas system and never on another persons.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Chewbacka

[nicknorman]

Pease see the description of the ACOP here. http://www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/legal-status.htm

 

They are what we in aviation call "acceptable means of compliance". In other words, if you have complied you are squeaky clean. If you have not complied you might need to show that you operated at an equivalent level of safety. So your knowledge skill and ability (competence, if you like) would need to match the job in hand, not any possible job that any gas fitter might carry out.

I think you are correct, but it is worth adding that the law does require that the do-it-yourself gas engineers need to have the required competence. The level and range of competence should match the full extent of work done. Should something go wrong you may be called upon to show why you thought you were competent.

If you pay someone to do work for you - cash or some other benefit - then they must be Gas safe registered.

I do not mean to be rude, and I know nothing about your skill level, but if you do not know what a bubble tester is (going back a couple of posts) I would suggest you consider carefully your skill level before 'having a go'.

Correct. As I said, if the job didn't cause a problem and didn't look as though it might, you were competent. If the job blew up in your face clearly you weren't competent and thus were not compliant with the law.

 

As to the questioner, he asked if he could do it himself and the answer is yes, but as you say, only if he is competent to do it. If one is familiar with gas plumbing but has never seen a bubble tester I don't think that necessarily means you are not competent, you just follow the instructions.

 

Armed with a massive wrench, big hammer and box of matches for leak testing, what could possibly go wrong?

 

 

 

So we've both been editing / adding to posts but for clarity, the ACOP is guidance, it does not have to be complied with.

Edited January 31, 2016 by nicknorman

[Chewbacka]

Pease see the description of the ACOP here. http://www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/legal-status.htm

 

They are what we in aviation call "acceptable means of compliance". In other words, if you have complied you are squeaky clean. If you have not complied you might need to show that you operated at an equivalent level of safety. So your knowledge skill and ability (competence, if you like) would need to match the job in hand, not any possible job that any gas fitter might carry out.

Correct. As I said, if the job didn't cause a problem and didn't look as though it might, you were competent. If the job blew up in your face clearly you weren't competent and thus were not compliant with the law.

 

As to the questioner, he asked if he could do it himself and the answer is yes, but as you say, only if he is competent to do it. If one is familiar with gas plumbing but has never seen a bubble tester I don't think that necessarily means you are not competent, you just follow the instructions.

 

Armed with a massive wrench, big hammer and box of matches for leak testing, what could possibly go wrong?

 

 

 

So we've both been editing / adding to posts but for clarity, the ACOP is guidance, it does not have to be complied with.

So I think we have agreed that so long as you are competent to carry out the work on your own system there is no law to prevent it.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Chewbacka

[nicknorman]

Yes

[Alan de Enfield]

S0 (I agree) depending on your level of competence and you preparedness to go onto the witness stand and say "I am competent" if the worst happens, then you could do it yourself. (But I still maintain that the HSE defines competence in a different way to yourself.

 

In any case, whilst I would be ( and have been) prepared to replace gas pipes and make additions to a caravan I would not to a boat.

 

"I don't want to be judged by 12, let alone carried by 6"

[Ricco1]

Actually if it is a rental property a landlord is legally required to ensure "a 12 monthly gas safety check must be carried out on every gas appliance/flue."

The BSS did not choose to treat Residential boats differently to Leisure boats, it is the law. If you are a residential boat and want to use a non gas safe inspector for your BSS then all you need do is have a bubble tester.

 

The point is that boats with owner occupiers in them need a health and safety bod to snoop around whereas houses do not. This is illogical.