Rank: Forum user 
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Hi all
I need some quick advice from you gas safety folks out there please.
We had a task to perform on an industrial gas heater, the heater needed to be isolated to change a part, then it can be reinstated, it should take a few hours at most. There is a isolation valve we can use. However, we will not physically lock off the valve, but instead leave a person supervising the valve to ensure no one turns it on.
My question is (which I probably know the answer to) is this against any gas regs? or does the valve need to by physically locked off?
if you could point me in the direction of the relevant guidance that would help too
thanks in advance
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Rank: Forum user
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Hi,
I’m not to sure if you are saying that this work has been done or is about to be undertaken?
Such work can only be carried out by a competent person who is Gas Safe registered.
Cheers
Andy
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Rank: Super forum user 
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People are unreliable, 'it should take a few hours at most'. Is your plan to leave the one person there to supervise the inanimate object, breaks / drinks / toilet stops / boredom?
Physically lock it off, have all keys for the lock held by the supervisor of the job. Do you have a permit to work system in place for gas and / or fuel systems? Lock off should be an integral part. Also as AndyMcCluskey has pointed out, check whether it's covered by the need for gas safe engineer.
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Rank: Super forum user
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I can't comment on gas regs, but the process industry uses HSG 253 "The safe isolation of plant
and equipment". Section 149 of the guidance relates to securing isolations. It says the method needs to be proportionate to the risk.
Remember all locks can be defeated (quite easily). And not all valves can be locked effectively. If this is a one off task, positioning someone at the isolation valve was probably a very effective control, and I would feel it complies with the requirements of HSG 253.
On high hazard plant we often use simple tags to secure isolations. They provide no physical barrier to prevent a valve being operated, but no one would touch a tagged valve. Conversely, on Piper Alpha, the condensate pump isolations were physically locked, but the Operators thought it was safe to de-isolate but the problem was they didn't know the safety valve had been removed from downstream pipework.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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1 - ensure the work is done by a Gas Safe Engineer with the right qualification for the work being done
2 - invest in a gas valve isolation kit - they don't cost a lot and you will have for ever for every other time you need to lock off any sort of valve.
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Rank: Forum user
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Thanks for all the responses so far, especially HSG 253 Thanks!
Does any gas specialist know if there are any statute out there explicitly prohibiting what I have described? Or is it simly down to risk assessment as in HSG 253
FYI the situation is retrospective, it did not happen, But I want some real ammo if it crops up again.
Thanks again for your responses
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Rank: Forum user
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Originally Posted by: Hsquared14  1 - ensure the work is done by a Gas Safe Engineer with the right qualification for the work being done.
Does this apply to an in-house fitter? The relevant regs seem to indicate otherwise, saying only that in-house engineers/fitters need to be "competent" and not necessarily registered.
Of course, we still need to define "competence"...
Edited by user 28 March 2018 13:43:13(UTC)
| Reason: typo
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