Gas
Assessments
Overview
Although we oversee the safe installation and operation of technical systems across the province, some exemptions do exist in certain municipalities.
To request an assessment, please complete our Gas Notification of Completion, Installation or Alteration form 570.
Once submitted, your declaration will be analyzed by our risk-based oversight program, and safety officers will determine the next step, which will be one of the following:
Accept the Declaration (Previously Known as “Waive the Inspection”)
Through our risk-based oversight program, the safety officer has determined that this assessment request does not require further inspection. In this case, we accept your declaration of compliance. No remote or physical inspection will be performed, nor will a Certificate of Inspection be issued. Instead, you will receive an email confirmation of acceptance. Your signed declaration will serve as the final document verifying that the work has been completed to code. Learn more about what happens when your declaration is accepted.
Schedule a Physical Inspection
If a high hazard has been identified or is suspected, a safety officer will arrange to physically attend the site to perform the inspection. A certificate of inspection will be issued to the permit holder upon completion of the physical inspection.
Schedule a Remote Inspection
A safety officer performs the inspection without physically attending the site. To carry out a remote inspection, they will request evidence of one or more of the information types listed below. Alternatively, you can contact your local safety officer to arrange a time to walk through the installation via live video conferencing tools. A certificate of inspection will be issued to the permit holder upon completion of the remote inspection.
Evidence Required for a Remote Inspection
To support the remote inspection process, you will be asked to provide specific evidence that clearly demonstrates the scope of the regulated work or product.
Types of evidence that may be requested include, but are not limited to:
- photo or videos logs (time-stamped when necessary);
- documentation (PDFs, Word, etc.); and
- live video conferencing.
Since every permit and assessment has its own unique considerations, we cannot advise exactly what evidence will be required prior to receiving a request for inspection (declaration form).
Remember to record your installations through photo and/or video logs and to retain copies of relevant documentation stored on-site so that these are available if requested by your local safety officer.
If you’re a homeowner doing gas work under the homeowner’s permit, you must request an inspection by submitting the Gas Homeowner Inspection Request form.
If you’re making a declaration required by regulation or the Safety Standards Act, you must physically inspect the work before making the declaration and certifying its compliance.
Commissioning Inspection Requests
For the commissioning of gas appliances bearing the seal of a recognized testing agency, submit Gas Notification of Completion Installation of Alteration form 570. A separate application is required for each appliance. This form must be received 48 hours before the required appliance start-up. Appliances in this category can include:
- Direct fired equipment
- Conversion burners in other than a single-family dwelling over 409,000 BTU
- Commercial and industrial conversion burners
- Forced draft appliances over 409.600 BTU.
When requesting a commissioning approval inspection, provide the installation permit number where applicable.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’re concerned about the lack of available qualified individuals, material, and meeting our safety responsibilities. How can you support us?
If you install, own, operate, or maintain regulated equipment, you are obligated to continue to meet all regulatory requirements for public safety. This includes capacity for enough personnel to maintain compliance to the Act, Regulation, code, and any equipment manufacturers’ operations and maintenance requirements.
If you are unable to meet the regulatory requirements or if product availability becomes an issue, you may request a variation to a code, standard, regulation, and act by completing the variance form. If you have any questions or concerns, please email contact@technicalsafetybc.ca, with the subject line: "COVID-19: Regulatory responsibilities".
We are also sharing some online tools that can be used to help develop and refine a business continuity plan:
If you have already established business continuity protocols or identified different levels of service to provide, we invite you to share your plan with us. In the interest of industry and safety, we welcome the opportunity to provide feedback, please reach out to us.
I’m performing maintenance but the building is closed. What should I do?
Some buildings have a “no visitor policy” or are temporarily closed to comply with COVID-19 prevention protocol mandated by provincial health authorities. It’s understandable that licensed contractors won’t be able to perform any periodic maintenance and may only respond to emergencies.
I need to complete an installation, however, building access, lack of personnel, or other factors related to COVID-19 are affecting the ability to do so. What should I do?
If the job is non-essential consider postponing it. If you must complete the job, we recommend that you evaluate these sites and contact the building owners to determine how the job can be completed safely, reducing risk to both contractor and those living in the building. If you are unable to leave a job in a safe condition, please reach out to us.
Inspection Fees
Inspection fees vary based on the day of the week and the duration of the inspection.
