Gas news
Summer 2018/19
energysafe issue 52
Revisions to AS 4575 Gas
Appliances—Quality of Servicing
By Enzo Alfonsetti, Manager Type A Gas Appliance & Component Safety and AG006/GTRC chairman
The recent coronial inquest into the death of Sonia Sofianopoulos
from carbon monoxide poisoning, which occurred due to a Vulcan
Heritage space heater operating in a negative pressure environment,
highlighted the importance of testing open-flued space heaters
for combustion product spillage.
At the inquest’s conclusion, the Coroner
made eight recommendations. One of
the recommendations focused on the
need to amend Australian Standard
AS 4575 Gas Appliances-Quality of
Servicing, to incorporate the open-flued
appliance combustion products spillage
test from AS/NZS 5601.1, Appendix R.
AS 4575 which covers the minimum
quality requirements for managing and
delivering Type A gas appliance servicing
and installation is not currently mandated
through legislation and has not been
revised or amended since 2005.
Standards Australia had recognised the
need to review the standard some years
before the inquest.
In response, ESV submitted a project
proposal for the standard’s revision.
The AG012 committee that developed
the original standard was no longer
constituted, so the project was
reallocated to the AG006 committee
(also responsible for installation
standards AS/NZS 5601.1 and
AS/NZS 5601.2), which commenced its
review in 2016.
Following significant work, a draft
of AS 4575 was published for public
comment in October 2018. The draft
covers a number of proposed changes
and other information, the most
important aspects of which include:
» the standard’s scope, which has been
expanded to cover the minimum
requirements for Type A appliance
servicing, repair and conversion from
one gas type to another, related aspects
of gas installations and their associated
quality management systems, site
familiarisation and OHS risk assessment,
and the competency of personnel
» a comprehensive combustion products
spillage testing procedure and flowchart
for open flued appliances
» guidance on quality management
systems for organisations that deliver
servicing, repair, or conversion of
Type A appliances
» details to consider when inspecting an
appliance before servicing, the tools and
equipment required, and the steps to be
taken with dangerous appliances and
installations
» appliance repair requirements (including
the repair or replacement of components)
» electrical safety requirements (including
an informative appendix on electrical
safety)
» a sample template for recording details
for dangerous gas installation notification.
The title of the standard has also
changed to Gas Appliances-Servicing
of Type A Appliances.
The closing date for public comment
is Wednesday 26 December 2018.
To make a submission, visit the
Standards Australia website (link below).
The expected date for publishing
of the revised AS 4575 is in the first half
of 2019, subject to the number of public
comments received. ESV will consider
mandating the standard through an
amendment to the Gas Safety (Gas
Installation) Regulations 2018 once
this occurs.
Make a submission via
Strandards Australia at
sapc.standards.org.au/sapc/
public/listOpenCommenting
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