Providing a safe gas supply to flats in high-rise developments brings its own set of challenges. Barrie Church reviews how the IGEM Standard G/5 aims to ensure that the work is always done safely and correctly.
The work in IGEM on the standard G/5 was first started as part of a request for advice on gas installation designs in Hong Kong where their apartment blocks can be 36 floors or more. There is also a restriction on the location of gas pipes within the building and, as a result, the incoming service pipework is strung up the outside of the building. It is all screwed and leaks occur on the screwed joints, which are costly to repair so high up.
As in the UK, the Standard has to be written to allow for the ‘laws of the land’. It also has to reflect existing practice as well. For example, in the UK we may have a riser as a service pipe or as an installation pipe, and we have different approaches for both.
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