Question 1

Who can issue a gas certificate of compliance in South Africa?

Accepted Answer

A gas certificate of compliance, formally a certificate of conformity, may be issued only by a gas practitioner registered with SAQCC Gas in the category and class that covers the installation: domestic liquefied petroleum gas, commercial LPG, natural gas or another category. The registration exists because the Pressure Equipment Regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act require gas installations to be certified by an authorised person, and SAQCC Gas is the body appointed to keep that register. A plumber or a general handyman who is not registered may not certify a gas installation, however competent, and an installation with no valid certificate is one an insurer or a conveyancer will not accept. Check the practitioner's number against the register before relying on a certificate. Omni Field keeps each practitioner's registration number, category and expiry on their certification record so the right person is sent to gas work.

Question 2

Do I need a gas certificate when selling my house?

Accepted Answer

Yes, where the property has a gas installation. The Pressure Equipment Regulations require a certificate of conformity for the installation, and on transfer the seller is expected to provide one to the buyer in the same way as the electrical certificate, with the conveyancer collecting both before registration. An installation that was certified when it was installed and has not been altered since can rely on that certificate, though many conveyancers ask for a recent inspection where the certificate is old. A gas hob, a gas geyser, a fireplace or a braai connected to a fixed supply all count; a portable cylinder appliance that is not part of a fixed installation generally does not, but confirm with the conveyancer. The inspection commonly finds clearances or ventilation that no longer meet SANS 10087-1, and correcting them is quoted work. Omni Field stores the certificate against the address for the next transfer.

Question 3

What is SANS 10087-1?

Accepted Answer

SANS 10087-1 is the South African national standard for the handling, storage and installation of liquefied petroleum gas in domestic, commercial and industrial installations at consumer premises. It is the standard a gas practitioner works to when installing cylinders, regulators, pipework and appliances, and it is what the certificate of conformity certifies against. It sets the position of cylinders relative to doors, windows, drains and sources of ignition, the ventilation an appliance needs, the materials and jointing of pipework, and the leak testing on completion. The Liquefied Petroleum Gas Safety Association publishes guidance for installers on applying it, and the SABS sells the standard. Editions are revised, and the current one applies to new work. Omni Field does not replace the standard or the test; it keeps the completed certificate and the photographs that evidence clearances and cylinder position on the job record.

Question 4

Are paper gas certificate books still valid?

Accepted Answer

No. The paper certificate of conformity books that gas practitioners once bought were withdrawn in favour of an electronic certificate issued through the registration body, and a certificate written in an old paper book after the changeover is not a valid certificate. That matters to installers, who must issue through the current system, and to anyone relying on a certificate, who should check it against the register rather than accept a paper form on its appearance. For a property transfer the conveyancer will ask for the electronic certificate number. For an installer the practical consequence is that the certificate exists in the registration body's system and a copy must be obtained and given to the client, which is easy to forget in the van. Omni Field attaches the copy to the job card and sends it to the client from the job, so the client has it when they need it.

Question 5

How often should a gas installation be inspected?

Accepted Answer

The regulations require a certificate on installation, on alteration and on transfer of the property, and do not set a fixed inspection interval for a domestic installation that has not changed. Commercial installations, restaurant kitchens and any site covered by an insurer's conditions are a different matter: insurers commonly require an annual inspection and a current certificate as a condition of cover, and a landlord or a body corporate may require the same for communal installations. Cylinder exchange contracts also bring the practitioner back on a schedule. The sensible practice for an installer is to treat every installation as a recurring relationship, with the next inspection booked when the current one closes, so the client is never out of certificate when the insurer asks. Omni Field runs those visits as recurring jobs and sends the reminder to the client by WhatsApp or email before the visit.

SAQCC Gas registration and the gas certificate of compliance

Who may issue a gas certificate

When a certificate is required

What the certificate records

What Omni Field does about this

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