Building Regulations

If you have called the Gas Safe Register Technical Helpline recently, you will probably have been asked what part of the UK you are working in. The reason they ask is because there are differences in the regulations across the UK and to make sure they give you the right information for your location.

The regulations differ depending on whether you are working in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Guernsey, the Isle of Man or Jersey.

These include Building Regulations Approved Documents in England, Technical Handbooks in Scotland, Building Regulations Approved Documents in Wales, Technical Booklets in Northern Ireland, Technical Guidance Documents for Jersey, Technical Standards for Guernsey and Building Regulations for the Isle of Man.

There are many differences from nation to nation, ranging from compliance with administration requirements to technical differences and energy efficiency regulations.

Building Control

Under the Building Regulations in England and Wales, for example, gas boilers, gas fires and unvented hot water cylinder installations must be registered with Building Control, which will result in your customer receiving a Building Regulations compliance certificate for the appliance installation.

The customer should keep this document and will need to produce it in the future if they decide to sell the property. This process is not mandatory in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

There are also differences in the Building Regulations regarding the ban on the use of combustible materials when replacing gas appliances where the flue outlet or terminal assembly forms part of the external wall in high-rise buildings (due to fire regulations). The Technical Handbook in Scotland classifies a high-rise property as any building over 11 metres high, whereas England, Wales and through, in contrast to other parts of the UK. It also requires a CO alarm for any new appliance fitted in a private or rental property with an interconnecting space, for example, a garage. Where rental properties do not comply with local CO alarm requirements, this would not automatically deem any the gas appliances to be classified as unsafe. However, the landlord would be non-compliant with the

Northern Ireland classify a high-rise building as anything over 18 metres high.

Carbon monoxide alarm requirements have also varied considerably due to legislation changes covering both the private and rental markets. In England and Scotland, for example, there is no requirement to have a CO alarm in a room that contains cooking appliances; but they are required in Wales and Northern Ireland.

Scotland requires a CO alarm in any room where a flue passes regulations, and could face a fixed-penalty fine or prosecution by the local authority.

Energy efficiency regulations also differ across the regions. The Boiler Plus regulations in England that cover combi boilers provide options for the type of energy-saving boiler interlock controls that must be installed with the appliance. Gas engineers and homeowners