Dear Lisburn and Castlereagh District Council,

I am writing to inquire how Lisburn and Castlereagh Council discharge their duties in relation to Gas Safety and enforcement with their borough in relation the Gas Installation and Use Order NI which the council is responsible for.

1. Given that according to a previous FOI the council staff are not qualified in their roles in building control or environmental health as the council holds no records of qualifications for the people who hold the various roles who do the council use for building control inspections were they charge fees to borough residents for certification which is 2000% more than what would be paid by a person in GB under a self certification scheme? Why does Lisburn and Castlereagh Council not use self certification with a degree of random auditing?

2. In the last five years how many Commercial Catering Gas Safety reports for fixed catering establishments have the councils Environmental Health Team requested from commercial catering establishments (also know as CP42)?

3. Of the number returned above for fixed premises how many were returned as categorised as below?

At Risk?

Immediately Dangerous

Not To current Standard

No defects

It is essential that defects identified are compiled to allow a true assessment of the general condition of gas safety within the borough.

4. In the last five years how many Commercial Catering Gas Safety reports for mobile catering establishments have the councils Environmental Health Team requested from commercial catering establishments (also know as CP44)?

5. Of the number returned above for mobile catering how many were returned as categorised as below?

At Risk?

Immediately Dangerous

Not To current Standard

No defects

It is essential that defects identified are compiled to allow a true assessment of the general condition of gas safety within the borough.

6. When the council allows or organises public events were mobile catering vehicle attend with gas installations are their Gas Safety certificate inspected prior to trading? Yes/No

7. How many catering establishments in the council borough use either Natural or Tank/bottle gas for baking, cooking, frying?

8. What inspections for gas safety do the council representatives when on general health and safety inspections to commercial non catering establishments e.g. offices, shops, workplace, production etc?

9. Does the council provide Catering Establishment operators with any guidance in relation to Gas Safety and ventilation requirements to assist them in their business given that neither Gas Safe of HSENI do not provide any operator information? Handout, downloadable documentation etc?

10. With Gas Safe and HSENI do zero Co awareness or Gas Safety message for the last nine years what has the council done during this period? A financial figure per year and type of publications, bill boards etc

11. Does the council have staff capable of inspecting the like of gas fired car/container spray booths some of which can be up to 1 megawatt within the borough? Details please?

12. When a new commercial installation whether in an existing or new premises what documentation do the council ask for from the operator in relation to gas? Type or names of certificate issued or form reference numbers.

13. When certificates are received do council staff each time cross reference the engineers registration number with the Gas Safe website to insure the engineer is registered and qualified in the area required? Yes / No

14. The council is responsible to inspect auctions and traders and I am sure they do not allow any electrical equipment to be sold without a Portable Appliance Test for safety. Do the Council check for second hand both commercial and domestic gas appliances being sold with makers instructions and required safety devices? It was an appliance without safety device caused the gas incident in Belfast.

15. Given the mad dash for people to purchase Co alarms back in 2010 after Caslterock deaths has the Council done any education on the fact that all of those Co alarms would now be death and not sensing although they may still sound if the button is pressed? Details of the awareness please?

16 Where an operator of a commercial premises continues to ignore basic gas safety and endanger staff and public can you please explain the process from initial contact until enforced closure and the period over which action from start to enforced closure would take place?

17. Given the varying type of gas installations the council staff would be expected to inspect I would expect the council as a quality focused council would operate consistent standard of inspection and would have check lists to be used during inspections to prevent key items being missed. What Gas/ Building Control/ Environmental Health checklist do the staff use to insure a consistent quality of inspection is delivered and documented?

Thanking you in advance and look forward to reading about Lisburn and Castlereagh Council effective management of Gas Safe within your borough.

Yours faithfully,

Robert King