Safety Guidelines for the Employer
USE OF PORTABLE GAS HEATERS IN PUBLIC PLACES
GUIDELINES For the Employer
The use of portable outdoor heaters with LP Gas cylinders is a convenient way to provide warmth to customers during the colder months of the year.
However, this convenience also brings risks to lives and property. You must be aware of dangers associated with LP Gas use, your responsibilities for ensuring a safe environment, and the need for implementing safe work practices and guidelines.
By managing your gas responsibilities correctly you will ensure that organisations such as ourselves will not need to visit your premises to investigate a serious gas incident or breach in safety practices.
The information below provides you with 5 simple and effective steps on what your responsibilities are when it comes to using and storing LP Gas safely and working with outdoor heaters.
Read over this information, keep it with your Occupational Health and Safety information, and refer to it at regular intervals to ensure that gas safety is maintained.
Check your Hotspots
Wherever possible use fixed gas supply
It is strongly recommended that outdoor gas heaters are fuelled from fixed piped gas supply wherever possible.
Maintenance
Never use damaged or malfunctioning heaters. Service your heater at least every 2 years and always follow manufacturer’s instructions.
Use portable heaters as intended
Only use in well-ventilated outdoor areas on stable ground and keep clear from awnings and combustible material.
Correct storage and handling of LP Gas cylinders
Keep all cylinders in a secure and well-ventilated location. Check the appliance, hose and cylinder connections for leaks and minimise the amount of stored gas on-site.
Make gas safety part of your routine
Appoint a gas safety supervisor and train all staff to follow the gas safety rules.
FIVE Simple and effective ways to be gas safe
1. Identify
Talk with your Occupational Health and Safety representative as well as your staff to identify potential gas hazards in your workplace, such as inappropriate gas storage facilities, outdoor heater locations during trade and the handling of LP Gas cylinders.
Assess risksto people and property from these hazards.
2. Control
Once you have identified potential hazards you must take immediate steps to control them including:
Install fixed heaters. It is strongly recommended that outdoor gas heaters be fixed, and fuelled from a fixed piped gas supply, either natural gas or from a remotely located LP Gas tank or cylinder. Portable outdoor heaters should only be for temporary use or where fixed piping is not possible.
Reduce the risk.Always minimise the amount of stored LP Gas cylinders you have on-site.
Have safety rules.
• Never use outdoor heaters indoors
• Only use outdoor heaters in well-ventilated outdoor areas
• Keep outdoor heaters clear from awnings and combustible material
• Put outdoor heaters on stable ground
• Provide enough clearance for people to move safely around heaters
• Never use damaged or malfunctioning heaters
• Service your heater at least every two years
• Keep all LP Gas cylinders in a secure well-ventilated location
• Check gas connections from cylinder to portable heater for leaks
3. Inform
Appoint a senior staff member as a gas supervisor
to monitor the safe use and storage of any LP Gas and outdoor heaters.
Train all staff involved in setting up any portable gas outdoor heaters and connecting and changing any LP Gas cylinders on potential hazards of dealing with gas and the procedures in place to prevent these hazards.
Use the information provided in this kit as a training resource for new staff and at regular intervals throughout the year to ensure gas safety procedures are followed. A specific information sheet has been provided to inform your staff on how they can be gas safe.
4. Plan
Plan for all emergencies and incidents.
Ensure correct fire protection systems are in place on your premises.
Schedule preventative maintenance for appliances.
5. Act
Keep an
up-to-date record of all maintenance carried out on outdoor heaters.
Train staff and inform them of the emergency plan when dealing with LP Gas hazards and update staff each year.
Set up a monitoring program that will ensure all steps in safe LP Gas storage and handling as described above are being adhered to. This could involve visual inspections and regular preventative maintenance.
Important contact details
In an Emergency, Call 000
If you need further information on being gas safe you can contact:
Worksafe
1800 136 089
www.worksafe.vic.gov.au
Metropolitan Fire Brigade
9420 3866
www.mfb.vic.gov.au
Restaurant and Catering Victoria
9654 5866
www.restaurantcatervic.asn.au
ENERGY SAFE VICTORIA
1800 652 563
www.esv.vic.gov.au
Country Fire Authority
9262 8444
www.cfa.vic.gov.au
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