For all the latest energy safety news visit www . esv . vic . gov . au Autumn 2016 energysafe issue 43
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Is that gas appliance approved ?
By Tyler Mason , Gas Engineer
ESV is constantly coming across or receiving reports of uncertified gas appliances for sale and products already sold to customers .
This situation is concerning as such appliances are often found to be unsafe – and people are completely unaware !
New or second-hand gas appliances bought in a store or online must be certified as safe for use in Australia . It is an offence to sell appliances that are not certified to Australian standards and gasfitters will not install them .
This requirement exists in legislation to ensure that appliances are reviewed and tested for safety against the Australian Standard by an independent organisation before being supplied to consumers .
Good to go : Examples of gas product certification marks from AGA , SAI Global , Global-Mark , Vipac and IAPMO-R & T OCEANA . All gas appliances must be certified for use in Australia .
Authorised certifying bodies
There are now five organisations authorised by ESV to provide certification to a gas appliance . These bodies are all accredited by JAS-ANZ , and are audited by ESV every year :
»» The Australian Gas Association ( AGA )
»» Global-Mark
»» IAPMO R & T Oceana
»» SAI Global
»»
Vipac
The person selling an appliance is responsible for ensuring that the appliances they supply have been certified by one of these organisations .
Household appliances In the case of common household appliances , the detail of a product ’ s certification is included in the product ’ s markings and can be checked against a national database , on the Gas Technical Regulators Committee website .
It is important to note that international certification schemes are not recognised in Australia . This includes the certification of appliances imported from Europe or North America . The primary reason is that standards are different because of different gas supplies and pressures in other parts of the world .
Commercial appliances For individual commercial catering appliances ,
ESV has recently authorised a new certification scheme operated by IAPMO R & T Oceana . This scheme allows for onsite testing and acceptance of a limited range of appliances . Since the termination of the Second Tier scheme several years ago , the only means of acceptance for individual appliances was to make an application to ESV . This often involved laboratory testing , and could not be conducted onsite .
For more information go to the ESV website or phone the Gas Technical Helpline on 1800 652 563
New Careers in gasfitting brochure
By Michelle Robertson , Senior Media and Communications Advisor
ESV has produced a new brochure to promote careers in gasfitting .
The A5 brochure provides an overview of types of work gasfitters do , training , licensing and specialised classes of work .
Gasfitting is a class of plumbing work that includes the construction , installation , servicing , repair and modification of any piping , appliances or fluing for the supply and use of gas .
In Victoria a gasfitter must be registered or
licensed with the Victorian Building Authority to legally carry out gasfitting work .
Gasfitter training is delivered by a number of TAFE colleges and registered training organisations around Victoria .
ESV works closely with these organisations to ensure that potential trainees are aware of the options , that they select the appropriate training and are aware of the licensing structure in Victoria .
Gasfitting also includes a number of specialised classes such as : Type A appliance servicing Type A appliance conversion work Type B gasfitting Type B gasfitting – advanced The new brochure contains a list of registered training providers and can be downloaded from the ESV website by clicking here . To request hard copies of the brochure contact ESV via email .
Careers in gasfitting
Creating a safer state with electricity and gas