One important aspect of any business is a fire system installation, as it will ensure your business can operate and that it is geared up in the event of a fire. As part of this process, you will have to carry out a full risk assessment of the property, ensuring that any risks which are identified have been fixed or prepared for. Today we are going to deal with one of those potential risks, which many companies work with, and that is gas bottles. It is important that you carry out a gas bottle test throughout the year, both to check how much gas you have, and if there are any issues with the bottle.
Here is how to go about making sure that your gas bottles are full and safe.
Checking The Levels
Because you cannot see through the metal, knowing how much gas a bottle has got is not as easy as seeing how much water a plastic bottle has in it. There are some very simple tests that can be carried out to check your levels. Firstly, you can simply shake the canister to see if there is any gas, and to get an idea of how much there is. Another option here is to pour some boiling water down the side of the gas bottle. Once you have poured the water, run your hand down the side until you feel it begin to get cold, that is where the gas is up to.
Finally, if you want to be very precise with how much is in your gas bottle, you can weigh it. The weight of the empty cylinder will be on the side of it, so simply discount that from the overall weight to understand exactly how much gas you have inside it.
Checking For Leaks
The reason you need to know the levels of gas which you have is so that you can monitor usage. This can be a great way of finding out whether there are leaks in the canister. Fire safety services will tell you that a large amount of issues in restaurants and other businesses which use gas, come from leaks in the connection of the canister and the device which is using the gas. Metal bottles very rarely crack and leak, it is the connection point where most issues are found.
Importance of Gas Bottle Checks
Checking your gas bottles regularly is so important from a risk prevention point of view. If the bottles are left over the holiday period then they should all be disconnected and fully sealed before the premises are shut down. This forms a critical part of your fire system installation because of the threat which gas can pose. It is not just the risk of starting a fire but the acceleration of a fire and the damage which will be done if you have issues with gas bottles.
If you are in any doubt then contact your local fire service with any questions which you may have.