Do you need a catering gas safety certificate for your commercial kitchen?

If you own a commercial kitchen, you must have taken all the measures to minimise the risk of hazards and protect your staff, customers, and assets. If not, there is a lot to do and consider for your business to ensure you are operating legally and have a Gas Safety Catering Certificate (CP42).

In the UK, commercial kitchens are subject to strict regulations to prevent fire risks as well as health and safety hazards. Furthermore, the UK government dictates that all food businesses running a commercial kitchen must have a gas safety lock system in place and a valid CP42 Certificate.

So, find out if your commercial kitchen needs a gas safety catering certificate in our informative article. 

You need a gas safety catering certificate to operate any kitchen with some type of gas appliances. Whether you’re dealing with LPG or natural gas, it is your responsibility to have an accredited gas-safe engineer examine all the gas equipment in your business premises at least once per year to determine the safety level and provide you with a registered gas certificate to certify your equipment is operating safely.

What is a CP42 Gas Safety Catering Certificate? 

A CP42 certificate is a commercial certificate issued by an approved Gas Safe engineer and serves as an official document to prove that the gas appliances and equipment inside your kitchen are safe and have been installed in a safe and proper way. 

Do I need a CP42 Gas Safety Catering Certificate? 

Those who run any form of a commercial kitchen that uses gas appliances, both LPG and natural gas, must have a CP42 certificate to operate. The certificate is a

legal requirement that must be met by all commercial kitchens, and failing to do so may result in prosecution under the Gas Safety Regulations. According to the Safety at Work Act (1971), employers have the responsibility to care for their staff. Therefore, the CP42 certificate is validation that you’re taking every step to ensure the safety of your workers and also your customers and property. The certificate remains valid for one year and it is your duty to ensure it is always up-to-date. The CP42 certificate will specifically cover facilities with some form of a commercial kitchen, including; 

All food production centres 

Nursing homes, daycare centres, and care homes 

Mobile/fixed kitchens 

Catering services 

Fast-food and takeaway outlets 

Government canteens, NHS, MOD 

Clubs, restaurants, and cafes 

All kinds of kitchens (public or private sector) 

Use of gas in a commercial kitchen

All hospitality and catering staff using gas equipment in a commercial kitchen should have enough training on how to safely operate it and how to visually assess it for obvious faults. These can range from things like damaged piping, dysfunctional flame operative devices, missing connections and restraints on appliances, inoperable locks on mobile equipment, as well as the smell of leaking gas. 

Furthermore, the staff should be conversant with the safety steps to take in case any of the above situations occur. Routine tasks like connecting or disconnecting plug-in connections to gas appliances when changing the cylinder, cleaning, or moving do not have to be done by Gas Safe registered individuals. However, it is critical that anybody who interacts with the equipment is fully competent and has received the required training. 

In the meantime, only Gas Safety registered persons are legally allowed to install and commission gas appliances in commercial kitchens.

Ventilation in a commercial kitchen

Many commercial kitchens around are fitted with mechanical ventilation systems. These promote a safe and comfortable working environment that ensures the safety and hygiene of workers. It is crucial to have a fully functional ventilation system without any faults in your premises. When you have a copy of its design performance characteristics, it becomes more convenient for caterers, owners, and even gas engineers to examine the ventilation system and determine whether it meets the minimum safety requirements. This includes such issues as the appropriate design and load in use. 

Some of the common causes of fires in commercial kitchens include using open-flame gas equipment for flame-grilling, stir-frying, and flambéing directly above ductwork. Fire usually results when a flame ignites fat or grease above. This hazard can be significantly reduced with the use of a well-designed canopy featuring grease filtration. Regularly cleaning the ventilation ductwork will also limit the accumulation of grease and fat, preventing the occurrence of fires. 

Gas Safety Catering Certificate
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What does the CP42 certificate cover? 

The CP42 certificate covers checks on the gas appliances and equipment, interlock system, related pipework, and extraction system in your premise. These are the areas a qualified Gas Safe engineer will examine before issuing the certificate. 

How long is the CP42 Gas Safety Catering Certificate valid? 

A CP42 certificate remains valid for 12 months, after which you will need to get it reissued. The gas safe engineer will conduct another full appraisal of your premise after a year to renew the certificate.

How do I get the CP42 certificate? 

To get a CP42 certificate, a registered gas safety engineer will have to visit your property and will carefully assess all the equipment before declaring whether or not they are safe. The engineer will examine the equipment and appliances connected to a gas supply, the gas interlock system, and the pipework and extraction systems. He will then certify your kitchen with a CP42 certificate. Note that if you’re leasing the property, the responsibility to get the certificate lies with the owner of the kitchen and not the building landlord. According to the included clauses, the leaseholder is responsible for gas safety. 

Can I operate a kitchen without a CP42 Gas Safety Catering Certificate?

Opening and operating a kitchen without being assessed and issued a CP42 gas safety certificate could potentially result in prosecution under the Gas Safety Regulations. Additionally, your insurance policy will likely be void. So it is important to make sure you have an up-to-date and valid CP42 certificate to avoid getting into any trouble or legal proceedings. Always remember to book your review before your existing CP42 certificate expires so you are never without valid certification. 

How much does a CP42 certificate assessment cost?

Gas safety certificates for commercial kitchens can cost anything between £200-300 (ex VAT), but this is very much dependent on the size of the kitchen and how much gas equipment is installed and needs to be certified.

Gas Safety Catering Certificate Summary

If you are planning to start a business, ensure that you follow all the required regulations to avoid getting into trouble legally and to protect your staff and customers. For a commercial kitchen operator, one of the first things that should be on your mind is getting a gas safety certificate. From the above, you’ll know everything there is about acquiring a catering gas safety certificate.

BPS Gas Safety Catering Certification Services

BPS Facilities Gas Safe Engineers are equipped and qualified to assess all types of gas systems installed in commercial kitchens. If you need to obtain a CP42 Gas Safety Catering Certificate contact us today at 029 20 484114 or email us here and we will arrange for an engineer to come out to your premises and formally check all of your gas appliances. You will be issued with a Gas Safe Certificate if all of the equipment is in safe working order and we will also advise you if there is any work or repairs that need to be done. We can also carry out maintenance and servicing on your gas systems giving you peace of mind that they’re not only safe but also working efficiently. An efficient and safe gas appliance is less likely to break down and cause operational issues and will also prolong its life span.