Property
Gas & Electrical Safety
Your responsibilities as a landlord for gas safety checks in residential properties and five-yearly electrical testing.
Gas Safety in Residential Property
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 apply to any residential property owned by the church, such as a manse or a tenanted flat. As the landlord, the church trustees (Elders) have a legal duty to ensure that all gas appliances, fittings, and flues are safe.
Your duties include:
- Ensuring all gas fittings and flues are maintained in a safe condition.
- Using a Gas Safe registered engineer for all installation, maintenance, and safety checks.
- Arranging for an annual safety check to be carried out on each gas appliance and flue.
- Keeping a record of each safety check for at least two years.
- Providing a copy of the current safety check record to the tenant within 28 days.
- Providing tenants with emergency instructions and appliance operating manuals.
It is also a legal requirement to install working smoke alarms on every floor and carbon monoxide alarms in any room that uses solid fuel.
You can download the 'Gas Servicing Guidelines for Manses' from our Property Resources & Forms page.
Electrical Safety
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require that electrical installations in most churches are safe and regularly checked by a qualified electrician. Under no circumstances should an untrained person attempt any electrical work. All electrical work must be carried out by a competent contractor, for example one enrolled with NICEIC or ECA.
Inspection and Testing
- Fixed Wiring: It is recommended that the entire fixed electrical installation is inspected and tested by a qualified electrician every five years. This is usually a requirement of your church's insurer.
- Portable Appliances (PAT): All portable electrical appliances should be subject to regular user checks and formal visual inspections. A combined inspection and test (PAT test) may be required for certain items, depending on the risk.
Table for Testing Portable Appliances
| Equipment / environment | User checks | Formal visual inspection | Combined inspection and test |
|---|---|---|---|
| IT – Desktop computer etc. | No | Yes, 2-4 years | No if double insulated |
| Photocopiers, fax machines (rarely moved) | No | Yes, 2-4 years | No if double insulated |
| Double insulated (Class II) equipment. Not hand-held. Moved occasionally, eg fans, table lamps | No | Yes, 2-4 years | No |
| Double insulated (Class II) equipment: hand-held, eg some floor cleaners, some kitchen equipment | Yes | Yes, 6 months – 1 year | No |
| Earthed equipment (class 1): Electric kettles, some floor cleaners, some kitchen equipment | Yes | Yes, 6 months – 1 year | Yes 1-2 years |
| Cables (leads and plugs to all equipment) and mains voltage extension leads and battery-charging equipment |
Yes | Yes 6 months—4 years depending on the type of equipment it is connected to | Yes, 1-5 years depending on the type of equipment it is connected to. |
You can download the 'Electrical Safety Guidelines' from our Property Resources & Forms page for more detailed information.