Gas Installation Permit and Safety Jurisdiction in British Columbia

Topic

This Information Bulletin details the jurisdictional requirements between Technical Safety BC and local government in areas where local governments administer the Safety Standards Act as permitted by Section 5 of the Safety Standards Act.

Local government - as defined in the Local Government Act, as: (a) the council of a municipality, and
(b) the board of a regional district.

For the purpose of this information bulletin, local government also includes the council of the City of Vancouver.

Service meter - means a meter that is installed by or on behalf of a gas company

Gas company - means a person engaged in the sale or distribution of gas in British Columbia

Important information

The Province of BC currently has administrative agreements with seven municipalities or local governments to issue installation permits and conduct gas inspections within their municipal boundaries.

These local governments are as follows:

1. Vancouver
2. Richmond
3. Burnaby
4. Maple Ridge
5. City of North Vancouver
6. District of North Vancouver
7. Kelowna

Gas Safety Regulation section 23 identifies the scope of regulated work for purpose of issuing permits by local governments when applicable:

1. single, fully detached dwellings, with gas service meter delivery pressures not exceeding 14.0 kPa (2 psig) regardless of total connected gas system load;
2. any other premises where the gas service meter delivery pressure does not exceed 14.0 kPa (2 psig) and the total connected gas meter (individual) load is not more than 120 kW or 409,000 BTUH.

Note: propane installations when in scope of local government jurisdictions not connected to a gas service meter fall under the jurisdiction of Technical Safety BC.

Commercial, industrial or multi-unit residential buildings, located in the identified municipalities, including aboriginal land within the boundaries of a municipality and properties that may also be federally regulated, fall under the jurisdiction of and permitting requirements of Technical Safety BC when connected to a gas service meter with delivery pressures that exceed 14.0 kPa (2 psig) and/or total single meter loads that exceed 120 kW or 409,000 BTUH.

Permissions or permits issued for regulated work not under the jurisdiction of Technical Safety BC, are considered to be obtained in error and are therefore not valid regardless of permit status. Where a gas contractor is employed to replace a gas-fired appliance within a municipality identified above, all gas installation permits must be obtained from the applicable authority having jurisdiction.

Incident or hazard notification

Gas incidents or hazards occurring in fully detached dwellings serviced by a single meter at 2 psi (14kpa) or less and any premise other than a fully detached dwelling if the gas meter pressure is 2 psi (14kpa) or less and the total connected load is 409,000 BTUH (120KW) or less within the following municipalities are not under the jurisdiction of Technical Safety BC and should be reported to the municipality:

• Burnaby
  604-294-7944
• Kelowna
  250-469-8500
• Maple Ridge
  604-463-5221
• North Vancouver (city)
  604-985-7761
• North Vancouver (district)
  604-990-2311
• Richmond
  604-276-4000
• Vancouver
  604-873-7011

Brad Wyatt
Provincial Safety Manager, Gas

References:
Safety Standards Act
Gas Safety Regulation