Under
the Occupation Health and Safety Act, gas appliances installed in property are
brought in line with electrical installations.
In short, any person installing a
liquid gas appliance onto a property, from 1st October 2009, must have a
Certificate of Conformity issued in respect thereof.
The certificate is issued by an authorised
person registered as such with the LIQUIFIED
PETROLEUM GAS SAFETY ASSOCIATION of SOUTHERN AFRICA (LPGAS), after he has
inspected the installation, and is satisfied that it is safe, and leak free.
Gas installations for which certificates of conformity are required would
include built in gas fires or braai's, gas stoves and hot water systems and the
like. Furthermore, in terms of Regulation 17(3) of the Pressure Equipment
Regulations, any person disposing of a property on which such gas appliance is
installed, must obtain a Certificate of Conformity in respect thereof, and must
deliver a copy thereof to the Purchaser (rather like an electrical compliance
certificate).
Indications are that insurance companies may seek to avoid liability for
damage caused to a property by a defective gas
appliance, should there be no valid
Certificate of Conformity therefore. This being the case, it won't
be long before banks granting the Purchaser the mortgage finance to purchase
property will require a copy of the Certificate of Conformity, should a gas
appliance have been installed thereon.
WHAT HOMEOWNERS NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT GAS APPLIANCES AND THEIR INSURANCE
Homeowners with gas appliances
stand the chance to have insurance claims denied if it is found that their
appliances did not meet the safety requirements set by the South African Bureau
of Standards (SABS) and the Liquefied
Petroleum Gas Safety Association of South
Africa (LPGSASA).
This is
according to Marike van Niekerk, Legal
and Compliance Manager at MUA Insurance
Acceptances, who says that insurers expect their policyholders to prove that
they have taken every reasonable measure to manage the risks associated with
their insured assets.
“Gas is becoming more and more
popular for household use, and a report by South Africa’s Competition
Commission1 reveals that gas is used in one way or another, in at least 20% of
South African electrified households and around 13% of households that are not
connected to the electrical grid.”
She says that in the event of an
accident involving a gas appliance, insurers may insist on proof that the
appliance and its installation complied with safety standards. “For this, the
policyholder needs a Certificate of Conformity, which confirms
that the appliance was inspected by an authorised person who is registered with
the LPGSASA.
It is proof that the appliance
is safe, leak free, and installed in accordance with the SABS
regulations.” Van Niekerk adds that if a homeowner cannot produce the
required safety documentation, there is a good chance that their insurance
claims could be denied.
She
says that the LPGSASA has a number of requirements that should be on every
homeowner’s checklist when installing a gas appliance.
Here are a few Tips to assist in making
better decisions, when it comes to home gas installations:
· Only use a
registered installer. Approved installers must be able to show you their
LPGSASA registration certificates and have to be able to provide you with an
installation certificate once the installation is completed.
· Only buy gas
from a qualified gas dealer. Approved gas dealers are listed on the LPGSASA
website, and will always secure new and refilled bottles with their distinctive
gas bottle seals.
· Make
sure that all of your gas products
have been verified and tested by the
correct regulatory bodies. This includes making sure that the appliance has
SABS and LPGSASA certificates of approval. LPGSASA also maintains a database of
approved appliances on its website, if you need to confirm that it is indeed
certified.
Regularly check whether the seal
on a cylinder matches the brand of the cylinder.
· Regularly check gas appliances before use.
No matter which appliance it is, always ensure that no pipes are damaged, no
gas is leaking and that all valves open and close correctly.
Lastly homeowners need to turn off gas appliances immediately if they suspect
that the equipment may be leaking.
“All windows and doors should be opened
and a registered gas engineer should be contacted to come and inspect the
appliance.” To further prevent any possible claims rejections, Van
Niekerk advises homeowners to get registered installers to
perform annual maintenance checks.
There are major
implications to using non-compliant gas appliances, and
homeowners place themselves in peril – both financially and physically - if
they do not manage their risks to the best of their ability.
For any further assistance and advice on the contents of this article,
please phone our office on 031-5021922 or visit our website www.esbrokers.co.za or reach Andrew directly on https://qrcard.mobi/andrew
Article courtesy of MUA Insurance Acceptances (insuring the High
Net-worth client) written
by Peter Bowes