Restaurant gas safety: what owners and managers must check

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Restaurant gas safety checks come in two layers. Every day, trained kitchen staff make simple visual checks before service: is the extract running, are hoses, connections and restraints intact, do the burners light and stay lit, and is there any smell of gas. Then, at least once a year (often more often, if the appliance manufacturer says so), a Gas Safe registered engineer qualified for commercial catering inspects and services the appliances, pipework, flues, ventilation interlock and safety devices. HSE's catering guidance (CAIS23) says that, as a general rule, "annual inspections are a reasonable minimum frequency, with repairs carried out as necessary." This guide sets out what restaurant owners and managers are responsible for, what staff should check and report, and what only an engineer should touch.

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Restaurant gas safety checks: what the law expects of owners

Regulation 35 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) says it is the duty of every employer or self-employed person to ensure that any gas appliance, installation pipework or flue installed at any place of work under their control "is maintained in a safe condition so as to prevent risk of injury to any person." HSE's gas safety page for employers lists restaurants by name among the workplaces where work on gas fittings "must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer who is qualified to do the work. It's illegal for anyone else to do it." It adds: "It's your responsibility to check a person is registered and is qualified."

Regulation 34 goes further. The responsible person for any premises (the regulation defines this as the occupier, the owner and anyone with authority to take action on the gas fitting) "shall not use a gas appliance or permit a gas appliance to be used if at any time he knows or has reason to suspect that it cannot be used without constituting a danger to any person." So if a manager knows a fryer is faulty, carrying on through service is not an option. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, CAIS23 adds, employees also have a duty "not to interfere with anything provided for health and safety reasons", which covers interlocks and flame supervision devices.

Who can work on restaurant gas equipment

CAIS23 says that whether contractors or in-house staff do the work, "the company or individual must be Gas Safe-registered and operatives must have valid certificates of competence relevant to the particular types of gas equipment and gas work they are involved with." Competence is specific to the type of equipment, so check that the catering categories are on the engineer's Gas Safe ID card rather than just looking at the photo. CAIS23 also warns: "People can sometimes use out-of-date certificates."

You can check a registration on the Gas Safe Register website or by phoning Gas Safe Register on 0800 408 5500. Our guide to checking Gas Safe commercial qualifications explains what the commercial categories on the card mean.

CAIS23 draws one useful line for day-to-day running. Routine tasks such as "connecting and disconnecting plug-in gas connections to appliances when moving for cleaning, or changing LPG cylinders or hoses, can be carried out by people who are not Gas Safe-registered, but they must be competent." Only a Gas Safe registered person should carry out the new installation and commissioning of an appliance with a plug-in connection.

Daily checks for kitchen staff (look and report only)

CAIS23 says all catering and hospitality staff who use gas equipment "should be trained in how to use it and in how to carry out visual checks for obvious faults." It lists the kind of faults it means: damaged pipework and connections, inoperative flame supervision devices, missing restraints on equipment, inoperative locks on castors of mobile equipment, and smells of escaping gas. It adds: "All staff should be familiar with what to do in these situations."

Turning that into an opening check might look like this. It is a look-and-report list, not a repair list:

Extract on before any gas appliance. Confirm the canopy extract (and any supply air fan) is running and the gas supply has been released by the interlock in the normal way. Among the factors CAIS23 lists as reducing risk are "clear, permanent notices warning that appliances must not be used without the ventilation system in operation."
Hoses, connectors and restraints. Look for kinked, crushed, cracked or heat-damaged flexible hoses, loose connections and missing restraint chains or cables on movable appliances. The Lincat Opus 800 manual, for example, says the gas supply hose or tubing "shall be periodically examined and replaced as necessary."
Castors. Check that castor locks on mobile appliances hold. CAIS23 says flexible gas connectors "can become damaged when equipment is moved", and that appliances containing hot liquids that have to be moved "must be fitted with lockable castors that are regularly maintained", with liquids left to cool before cleaning.
Flames. Burners should light normally and stay lit when the control is released. A burner that will not stay lit, or goes out during use, may point to a flame supervision fault and should be taken out of use and reported.
Vents and flues. Air inlets, appliance vents and flue outlets should be clear. HSE tells employers not to block air inlets to prevent draughts and not to obstruct flues and chimneys.
Smell of gas. Any smell of gas at opening means the emergency procedure below, not lighting up.

Record each check on a simple daily sheet (date, who checked, faults found, who was told). Staff should not remove panels, adjust burners, swap jets, override flame supervision devices or reset a tripped interlock repeatedly.

Know where the gas isolation is, and what to do if you smell gas

Manufacturers expect named staff to know how to shut appliances down. The Lincat Opus 800 manual says the person responsible should understand how to "light, safely operate, clean and shut down the appliance" and be "made aware of the position and operation of the gas isolating cock in the event of an emergency." It also recommends an isolating cock in the supply line close to the appliance "for emergency shutdown or servicing purposes." If your kitchen also has an emergency shut-off button or valve for the cooking line, make sure every shift knows where it is and what it isolates.

HSE's employer guidance says that if you suspect a leak, "turn off the supply and immediately phone" the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 for natural gas, or your LPG supplier for LPG. "If in doubt, evacuate the building and inform the police as well as the National Gas Emergency Service or your gas supplier." It also says: "Do not turn a gas supply back on until a leak has been dealt with by a competent person." GSIUR regulation 37 puts this on a legal footing: the responsible person who knows or has reason to suspect that gas is escaping into the premises "shall immediately take all reasonable steps to cause the supply of gas to be shut off at such place as may be necessary to prevent further escape of gas."

If staff smell gas	Do not
Turn off the gas at the emergency control or kitchen shut-off, if it is safe to reach	Relight burners or carry on cooking
Open doors and windows (HSE's gas safety FAQs list this alongside calling 0800 111 999)	Reset the interlock or shut-off to check whether it was a false alarm
Phone the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 (natural gas) or your LPG supplier	Turn the gas back on before a competent person has dealt with the leak
Evacuate if in doubt, and tell the manager on duty	Let service carry on while you wait for the engineer

After the leak is made safe, a Gas Safe engineer must repair the fault before cooking restarts (see emergency commercial gas and boiler help). For suspected carbon monoxide, see carbon monoxide in commercial kitchens.

The ventilation interlock: check it is working, never bypass it

CAIS23 says the installer should have fitted the appropriate interlocking system between any mechanical ventilation system and the operation of gas appliances "so that failure of the ventilation system causes the gas supply to the appliances to be shut off. Installation of manual bypasses to such interlock systems is not permitted." HSE's employer page makes the same general point for commercial plant: "Make sure the gas supply is interlocked with the ventilation of the appliance."

The industry standard for new catering installations is IGEM/UP/19 Edition 2 (published July 2022). IGEM says it relates to catering establishments "defined as those preparing meals for the public other than in domestic situations", and that the application of mechanical ventilation "will generally require the fitting of associated interlocks to ensure the safety of staff in respect of the air quality of their working environment." It is not retrospective, but IGEM recommends that existing installations be modified to meet it "when appropriate". For older kitchens without an interlock, CAIS23 says you should "assess whether a risk is likely to arise and, if so, make sure it is prevented or controlled."

IGEM/UP/19 also reminds owners where responsibility sits: "The primary responsibility for compliance with legal duties rests with the employer." Our guide to commercial kitchen gas interlocks explains how they work and why they trip.

Flame supervision devices, second-hand equipment and blowtorches

Flame supervision devices "are designed to stop gas entering the burner of a gas appliance if the flame is extinguished," CAIS23 says. New equipment will have them, and it says all second-hand equipment with open and/or enclosed burners being installed should be fitted with them. On ovens, it is direct: "All ovens not originally fitted with a flame supervision device should have been upgraded. If this is not possible, replace them."

So before a second-hand range, fryer or oven goes into service, have a Gas Safe registered catering engineer check, install and commission it. CAIS23 names BS EN 203-1 as the principal standard for the safety of gas-fired catering equipment, and BS 6173 as the British Standard for installing new and second-hand gas catering appliances.

CAIS23 also warns that portable LPG blowtorches "have been involved in several fires and explosions in kitchens when accidentally placed on hot surfaces", and that "You must only use blowtorches of an approved proprietary design", not homemade torches or gas pokers.

How often restaurant gas appliances should be serviced

CAIS23 says the frequency of inspections and equipment servicing "may vary depending on the equipment and its use and should follow the manufacturer's recommendations", with annual inspections as a reasonable minimum. Some manufacturers ask for more. The Lincat Opus 800 range manual says: "It is recommended that this appliance is serviced every 6 months by a competent gas engineer." It also says all service work other than routine cleaning should be carried out by its authorised service agents, so check your warranty terms and the manual for each appliance before you book.

When an engineer inspects or services catering equipment, CAIS23 says they will apply the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure (GIUSP) and the risk assessment protocol in the IGEM/IG/2 engineers' guide. If they find factors that increase risk, an At Risk (AR) or Immediately Dangerous (ID) classification "may be applied as appropriate". In either case the advice will be not to use the appliance. For AR, the engineer will ask permission to turn it off; for ID, they will ask to disconnect it. CAIS23's reassurance is that "These classifications are unlikely if proper regular maintenance has been done."

And if you have concerns between visits, CAIS23 says you "should not wait until the next routine maintenance visit or breakdown, but seek urgent advice from a competent gas engineer".

Water heaters, boilers and kitchen pipework fall under the same regulation 35 duty. Our commercial gas safety inspection page explains what an inspection covers, commercial boiler servicing covers the heating side, and planned preventive maintenance puts the whole site on one schedule.

Ventilation, extract and CO alarms

CAIS23 says properly functioning ventilation systems are important in ensuring kitchen safety, and points to HSE CAIS10, Ventilation in catering kitchens, to be read alongside it. Extract cleaning and grease are covered in our kitchen CO and flue guide.

On carbon monoxide alarms, CAIS23 says alarms in kitchens "should be suitable for use in the generally harsher conditions found in commercial working environments. Domestic CO alarms are not normally suitable and should not be used." Where CO or CO2 alarm systems are installed, they should give an audible alarm and be interlocked to the gas supply to the catering appliances with an automatic shut-off, as a fail-safe arrangement that needs manual intervention to restore the gas. But "These alarms are only warning devices." The primary safeguards remain an adequate and effective ventilation system and regular maintenance and servicing of all equipment by competent people.

Staff accommodation, flats and the landlord gas safety record

Some restaurants and pubs have a flat upstairs or provide staff rooms. CAIS23 notes that landlords must have all relevant appliances and chimneys/flues checked for safety every 12 months by a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer and give tenants a copy of the report (the landlord's gas safety record) within 28 days. It says this applies to residential accommodation, including staff and tied accommodation, "even if on industrial or other premises not otherwise subject to the Regulations." If your premises include any sleeping accommodation, confirm with your engineer which appliances need that annual record. See also commercial landlord heating responsibilities.

Records that show you are on top of it

Keep these together, ideally in the kitchen office and in a shared folder:

the latest gas safety inspection or service report for each catering appliance, with the engineer's Gas Safe details and any AR or ID notices and what was done about them
interlock test results, extract cleaning records, and your daily check sheets and fault reports
training records showing who has been shown how to use, check and shut down each appliance, and who is competent to move plug-in appliances
manufacturers' manuals (service intervals highlighted) and CO alarm maintenance records, where alarms are fitted

For general advice on risk assessment, CAIS23 points to HSE's risk pages. See also heating maintenance records insurers ask for.

Restaurant owner's gas safety checklist

Check	Who	How often
Extract running and interlock released before lighting; hoses, restraints, castors, flames and vents looked at; any smell of gas	Trained kitchen staff (look and report only)	Every opening
Faults logged, appliance taken out of use and reported to the manager	Kitchen staff and duty manager	As they happen
Inspection and service of catering appliances, pipework, flues, interlock and safety devices	Gas Safe registered engineer with commercial catering categories	At least annually, or as the manufacturer specifies (some say every 6 months)
Check the engineer's Gas Safe ID card categories and that they are in date	Owner or manager	Every visit
Staff trained on use, visual checks, shut-down and the gas emergency procedure	Owner or manager	At induction and refreshed regularly
Second-hand or relocated appliances installed and commissioned before use	Gas Safe registered engineer	Before first use
Annual landlord gas safety record for any residential or staff accommodation	Landlord, using a Gas Safe registered engineer	Every 12 months

Need a commercial gas engineer for your restaurant?

Our Gas Safe registered engineers (985448) work on gas plant in restaurants, pubs, hotels and other hospitality premises, including commercial gas safety inspections, kitchen gas interlocks, water heaters and boilers. See our hospitality page and commercial water heater repair, or call 0800 0996 007, WhatsApp 07947 578332 or email info@fastcommercialboiler.help. For LPG kitchens, see our commercial LPG page and our guide to commercial LPG safety checks.

Safety note

Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, gas work must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and we apply that rule on every site. Don't attempt DIY work on gas appliances, burners, flues or safety devices. On pressure systems, trained site staff should stick to visual and gauge checks, log the readings and report anything abnormal. Never adjust, cap, plug or test-lift a relief valve yourself.

Talk to a Gas Safe commercial engineer

Fast Commercial Boiler Help is a Gas Safe registered (985448) commercial heating business based at 4 Market Hill, Clare, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 8NN. Our team of over 10 local engineers covers East Anglia and East London, working on commercial boilers, plant rooms, water heaters, and warm air, radiant and unit heaters. We work on commercial premises only.

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Frequently asked questions

What gas safety checks does a restaurant need?

Two levels. Trained kitchen staff should make visual checks before service (extract on, hoses, connections, restraints, castor locks, flames, vents and any smell of gas) and report faults. A Gas Safe registered engineer qualified for commercial catering should inspect and service the appliances, pipework, flues, interlock and safety devices. HSE CAIS23 says annual inspections are a reasonable minimum, and the manufacturer may specify more.

How often should restaurant gas appliances be serviced?

HSE's catering guidance says servicing frequency should follow the manufacturer's recommendations and that, as a general rule, annual inspections are a reasonable minimum. Some manufacturers ask for more: the Lincat Opus 800 range manual recommends a service every 6 months by a competent gas engineer.

What does the law require for restaurant gas appliances?

GSIUR regulation 35 requires employers to keep gas appliances, pipework and flues at the workplace maintained in a safe condition, and HSE says work on gas fittings in restaurants must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Regulation 35 is a duty to maintain rather than a named certificate, so keep dated inspection and service reports to show how you meet it. If you have residential or staff accommodation, a landlord gas safety record is needed every 12 months.

Can kitchen staff move gas appliances for cleaning?

HSE CAIS23 says routine tasks such as connecting and disconnecting plug-in gas connections when moving appliances for cleaning can be done by people who are not Gas Safe registered, but they must be competent. Installing and commissioning an appliance with a plug-in connection is for a Gas Safe registered engineer only.

What should restaurant staff do if they smell gas?

Turn off the gas at the emergency control if safe to do so, open doors and windows, and phone the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 (or your LPG supplier). If in doubt, evacuate. HSE says do not turn the supply back on until a competent person has dealt with the leak.

Can we keep using an appliance the engineer has marked At Risk?

No. HSE CAIS23 says that where an engineer classifies an appliance as At Risk or Immediately Dangerous, the advice in either case is not to use it. GSIUR regulation 34 also says the responsible person must not use or permit the use of an appliance they know or suspect is dangerous.

Sources and further reading