An important new revision has been made to IS 820, the standard for non-domestic gas installations. The standard is aimed at commercial gas installers and specifies requirements for the design, operation, maintenance and testing of natural gas and LPG installations, to the point of delivery of the gas to appliance(s) in non-domestic premises.
Under CRU regulations it will be a legal requirement that non-domestic gas works (natural gas and LPG) be carried out by a Registered Gas Installer from January 2021.
NSAI’s director of standards and metrology, Enda McDonnell said: “IS 820 has been specifically revised to ensure current good practice is reflected in the new edition, supporting the implementation of the extended RGI scheme.”
The main changes to the standard include additional and revised guidance/requirements for:
• Outdoor catering and mobile catering and display units;
• External and internal buried pipework;
• Strength and soundness testing;
• Over pressure protection and regulator systems on LPG cylinder installations;
• Sfety inspections of existing installations.
Background
Edition 2 of this standard was published in 2010. Since then, the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has advised that the current registered gas installer (RGI) regulatory model, which governs the work of RGIs in the domestic sphere, will be extended to those works on Natural Gas and LPG fittings designed for non-domestic gas installations.
This will make it a legal requirement from January 2021, under CRU regulations, for Non-Domestic Gas Works to be carried out by a registered gas installer only.
The RGII are operating a Non-Domestic RGI Provisional Register, which will remain voluntary until January 2021, when it will become mandatory.
In supporting this, IS 820, which will be referenced in supporting legislation, has been revised by the subcommittee, TC2 'Installations and Appliances' of the Gas Technical Standards Committee to reflect the new provisions.
Also, included in the new provisions, are the requirements for LPG outdoor catering.