IS YOUR BOAT LPG-COMPLIANT?
If you use LPG gas on your vessel be aware that many insurers are now requiring that the gas installation is certified.
To meet the requirements, Auckland’s Westhaven Marina recommends that you: • Fit gas detectors into your bilge area with two sensors, one in the vicinity of your gas appliances and one at the lowest point where gas is likely to accumulate (usually in the bilge) Insist that any gas work is done by a qualified installer Get the work certified and provide your insurance company with the details. Boats not only require a gas certificate but also require the work to be lodged on the Energy Safety website’s high-risk database, which a qualified gas fitter will take care of for you. Aaron Mortimer of Mariner Marine Insurance says that with the regulations being modified in 2010 and 2013, it’s possible that some boaties are buying boats that previously were compliant but now are not.
If the survey indicates any concerns about the gas system, cover will be made dependent on certification from a gas fitter, or Mariner will ask for the gas bottle to be removed until the system is certified.
The Plumbers, Gas Fitters and Drainlayers Board says that a certificate is the gasfitter’s verification that the work is lawful and compliant. The Board provides guidelines for selecting a tradesperson to help you and for verifying the tradesperson is properly qualified.
“One of our customers had a scary near-miss recently when his cabin and bilge was filled with gas,” says Westhaven Manager Kevin Lidgard. “Fortunately, this was noticed by our dock-master in the nick of time, but the end result could easily have been very different – in the worst-case injury or death, with significant damage to the vessel and neighbouring boats.”
If in any doubt, have your gas installations checked and discuss it with your insurance company.
For more detailed information, explore the NZS 5428:2006 standard – LPG installations for non-propulsive purposes in caravans and boats – or ask a qualified gas installer for details.