CareHomeDeskCareHomeDeskWhat the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 require, who can carry out checks, and what your CP12 certificate must contain.
Regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 requires that any gas appliances provided for use by residents or for the operation of the building are safety-checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer every 12 months. This applies regardless of whether the care home is a freehold or leasehold property. The duty falls on the employer or person responsible for the building -- typically the registered provider or their nominated responsible person. It is not discharged by the landlord's obligations alone; a care home provider is a duty holder in their own right.
The CP12 certificate (formally a Landlord Gas Safety Record) documents the outcome of each appliance safety check. The engineer must test each gas appliance for: correct gas operating pressure, safe flue operation and spillage, the presence and function of all safety devices (flame failure devices, overheat thermostats), adequate ventilation to the appliance room, and that the appliance is operating within the manufacturer's tolerances. Each appliance gets its own entry on the record. An unsigned or undated CP12 has no evidential value -- always check the document is complete before filing it.
A common misconception in care homes is that the building landlord's gas safety obligations satisfy the provider's own duties. They do not. A care home provider who controls the premises holds separate and concurrent duties under Regulation 36. Even where a landlord carries out checks on shared or building services, the provider must ensure any appliances within the care home itself -- boilers, gas fires, kitchen equipment -- are also checked annually and the records held. Where there is any ambiguity about who is responsible for which appliances, get written clarity in the lease or service agreement.
You must keep each CP12 certificate for a minimum of two years. Residents and their representatives are entitled to see a copy of the record. The HSE and CQC may ask for these records during inspection -- under CQC Regulation 15 (premises and equipment), evidence of gas safety management is expected. Best practice is to keep a running gas safety file with all CP12 records, any interim engineer reports, and the maintenance log for each appliance. A gap in the annual cycle is a significant compliance failure.
If a Gas Safe engineer identifies an unsafe appliance during a CP12 check, they are required by the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure (GIUSP) to classify it as Immediately Dangerous (ID), At Risk (AR), or Not to Current Standards (NCS). An ID appliance must be isolated immediately and must not be used until a Gas Safe engineer has carried out remedial work and issued written confirmation that it is safe to reinstate. An AR appliance should be taken out of use as soon as practicable. In both cases, document the action taken, who was notified, and when. Never reinstate an unsafe appliance based on verbal clearance alone.
CareHomeDesk gives you compliance checklists, maintenance logs, and contractor management tools built around exactly this kind of knowledge.