Gas industry unsafe situations: ID, AR and what to do

What GIUSP actually is

If you work on gas, you live with the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure. It is the trade playbook that tells you how to classify and deal with dangerous or potentially dangerous appliances, flues and pipework. I am not here to sell you anything, just to translate the thing into what you do on a wet Tuesday when a boiler is spilling or the ECV is weeping. If you searched gas safe unsafe situations, this is the bit you need to get right when the room still smells of combustion.

GIUSP is industry guidance agreed across the gas world. The legal teeth sit in the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, which require competent work and not leaving people exposed to danger, and I cite the Regulations here because this is the law you answer to. GIUSP shows you how to turn that duty into consistent action on site, using simple categories and set steps. You classify, you act, you record, and you walk away able to defend what you did.

I see the same problems over and over. Engineers mixing up ID and AR. No labels left. Job sheets saying “made safe” with no detail. Tenants refusing isolation and no follow up note. The current GIUSP edition, whatever number it is today, already solves most of this if you follow it. The rest is about calm communication, steady hands on the isolation spanner and a paperwork trail that shows you did exactly what the procedure and the Regulations expect.

If you want a refresher on how risk assessment and method statements fit around your gas work, read What Does RAMS Stand For? RAMS Meaning Explained | RAMS AI.

The risk classes: ID, AR and that old NCS chestnut

GIUSP splits unsafe situations into two safety categories. Immediately Dangerous means there is an immediate risk to life or property if the appliance or installation is left as found. At Risk means a fault exists that could become dangerous if certain conditions arise. This simple split is the start of everything. If you get the category wrong, the next steps will also go wrong.

Real world examples help. Immediately Dangerous might be confirmed CO spillage on a combustion analyser test, a severe flue defect with evidence of fume ingress, signs of incomplete combustion with occupants already unwell, a failed tightness test with suspected escape in the building fabric, or a room sealed flue detached in a void where products are entering the space. At Risk could be inadequate permanent ventilation with no current spillage, a flue route you cannot fully verify but with no signs of escape, or a safety device defeated so the appliance could operate unsafely if it fires.

People still use Not to Current Standards in conversation. That label has no place in the current GIUSP when we are talking safety. If it is a performance or benchmark issue with no added risk, you record an advisory on your paperwork and explain it. If it adds risk, it lives in AR or ID. Keep that line clean and you will avoid long debates in hallways while a boiler cycles itself towards trouble.

For structured job records and checklists that prompt the right details, start with Free RAMS Templates – Safety Document Downloads | UK and adapt them to your gas workflow.

What to do when it is immediately dangerous

This is the moment you earn your keep. Immediately Dangerous means you take action now. I start with the safest point of isolation I can control. That might be the appliance isolation valve, or the emergency control valve if I cannot trust the appliance valve. I shut it off, confirm it is off, and if the situation calls for it I disconnect and cap. Then I label the appliance and the isolation point with a clear, durable Danger Do Not Use tag.

You must warn the responsible person and explain calmly what you have found, what you did, and why. The legal duty to prevent danger sits with you under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, so do not walk away leaving an ID situation live because you feared a complaint. Where there is an active escape or CO spillage and you need support, call the gas emergency number and request attendance. Record the time of the call and the advice you gave.

Paperwork is not a side issue here. Write down the fault description in plain terms, your test results, the exact isolation point used, whether you capped, where you fixed the label, and who you spoke to. Take photos that show the valve position and the label in place. In a plant room, lock off and tag if appropriate, and note who holds the key. I often add a short written warning for the client to sign. If they will not sign, I still leave the note and record the refusal.

If clients are asking how RAMS sit with your legal duties, point them to the plain-language answers in FAQ – RAMS AI, CDM 2015 & Safety Documentation.

What to do when it is at risk

At Risk is where the fault could become dangerous, but you have not confirmed immediate danger. Typical examples are questionable ventilation that still passes a spillage test, a flue route that cannot be verified end to end, or damaged casings that could allow fume escape if conditions change. Your first move is to explain the risk, advise that the appliance should not be used, and, with the customer’s consent, turn it off and label it.

The difference with AR is consent. GIUSP expects you to seek permission to isolate when the risk is potential. You do not steam in and disconnect unless the situation shifts into ID while you are there. If consent is given, isolate at the appliance valve, apply a clear At Risk or Do Not Use label, and record your advice to repair or replace. If consent is refused, you must still label and record the refusal and your warning.

I see engineers struggle with this in busy kitchens or rented flats. Be clear and repeat back what you have been told. I write in my notes like this: Advised not to use, explained risk of CO if used, consent refused by Mr Jones, appliance labelled, photo evidence attached, repair recommended. The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 still apply here because you must act to prevent danger, and your record shows you took reasonable steps following current GIUSP guidance.

When the customer refuses

Refusal happens. The tenant wants a hot shower. The head chef has a function in two hours. Your job is to de-escalate while sticking to GIUSP. For ID, you isolate or disconnect to remove immediate danger, label, and then explain. For AR, you seek consent to isolate. If they say no, you leave a clear written warning, apply the label, and document the refusal in your paperwork. If it is a let property, send the note to the landlord or agent as well.

I keep a simple refusal script and a form. It states what I found, what I advised, what I did, and what the risk is if they use the appliance. If they refuse to sign, I note that politely and take a photo of the label in place. If there is an ongoing immediate danger that I cannot fully control because I am being blocked, I step outside and call the gas emergency number and inform building management. That aligns with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 duty to prevent danger.

In non domestic sites, lock off and signage help. A tagged closed valve with a lock and a laminated notice fixed to the appliance is hard to ignore. I also email the dutyholder with a time stamped summary and photos. Do not get drawn into arguments in front of customers or staff. Keep to the facts, keep your voice level, and write it all down in the moment, not three days later in the van.

RIDDOR, notifications and who to tell

Most unsafe situations stop with your make safe work and your warnings. Some cross the line into reportable territory. If you believe a gas fitting is dangerous to such an extent that it could cause death and you know it was installed, serviced or repaired by another person in the last 12 months, you may have a duty to report under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. I cite RIDDOR 2013 because this is a legal reporting route, not an optional courtesy.

A few rules of thumb keep you steady. If there is a gas explosion or CO poisoning that results in a person going to hospital, that is a RIDDOR reportable incident for the dutyholder under RIDDOR 2013, and you should preserve evidence and records. If you just found a bad appliance and made it safe, the question is whether the dangerous gas fitting duty applies. If it does, submit a report to HSE as required by RIDDOR 2013 and keep a copy in your file.

Separate from RIDDOR, you have notification choices in the moment. For confirmed gas escapes or live spillage you cannot control, call the gas emergency service straight away. For social housing or commercial premises, notify the landlord or dutyholder in writing the same day. In my files, the winning formula is simple. Same day note, photos, test results and a calm summary. When anyone comes asking later, you will be glad you did the boring bits.

The paperwork that protects you

Paperwork is not a sticker and a scribble. It is the chain that shows you acted properly under current GIUSP guidance and the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. I read too many job sheets that say just ID, capped. That tells me nothing. Give me detail I can test. What did you find, what test proved it, where did you isolate, what label did you apply, what did you tell the responsible person, and when.

Here is a checklist I wish every engineer used. Photos of the installation before and after. Combustion readings or spillage test results where relevant, with analyser serial and calibration date. Tightness test results with pressures and times. Clear description of the defect in plain English. The classification, ID or AR, and why. The isolation point used, and whether capped or locked off. Copies of labels left, or at least photos of them in place. Names and contact details of the person you spoke to, and a note of advice given.

Finish with a same day email or text summary to the client or dutyholder. Keep it short and factual. I often write something like this. Found AR due to inadequate ventilation, advised not to use, isolated with consent, labelled, repair required before use, photos attached. Or for ID. Found CO spillage confirmed, isolated at ECV, capped, labelled, occupants advised to ventilate and await remedial works, emergency service notified at 14:10. This is dull admin on a Friday night, but it is what protects you when complaints start flying on Monday.

Questions we get asked

What is the difference between Immediately Dangerous and At Risk?

Immediately Dangerous means there is an immediate risk to life or property if left as found, so you must make it safe now, isolate or disconnect, label and warn. At Risk means a fault exists that could become dangerous, so you advise not to use, seek consent to isolate and label, and record your warning, following current GIUSP guidance and the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

Do I have to report unsafe gas work under RIDDOR?

You must report certain cases under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. If you believe a gas fitting is dangerous to such an extent that it could cause death and it was installed, serviced or repaired by another person in the last 12 months, a report may be required. Incidents like gas explosions or CO poisonings that send someone to hospital are reportable by the dutyholder.

What if the customer will not let me turn it off?

Explain the risk and the action you need to take. For ID you should still make safe, isolate or disconnect and label because the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 require you to prevent danger. For AR seek consent to isolate, and if refused, label, leave a written warning, document the refusal, and notify the dutyholder. If immediate danger persists, call the gas emergency service.

Can I still use Not to Current Standards on my paperwork?

Not for safety classification. The current GIUSP uses ID and AR for unsafe situations. If something is simply outdated but safe, record it as an advisory on your paperwork. If it introduces risk, classify it correctly as AR or ID and follow the required actions.

What labels should I use and where do I put them?

Use clear Danger Do Not Use or At Risk labels that will survive a damp cupboard. Fix one on the appliance where the user will see it and one at the isolation point you operated. Photograph them in place and keep the images with your job record. This supports your actions under GIUSP and the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

The short version

GIUSP is the industry method for classifying and dealing with unsafe gas situations. The two live categories are Immediately Dangerous and At Risk. For ID you make safe there and then, isolate or disconnect, label and warn, and call the emergency service if needed. For AR you advise not to use, seek consent to isolate and label, and document everything.

When a person refuses, you still label and record the warning. If immediate danger persists you notify the gas emergency service and the dutyholder. Some cases also meet the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 duty to report. The paperwork matters. Photos, test results and clear notes are what protect you under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.