Technical Bulletins: what are they for?
This article appears in the September/October edition.
Technical Bulletins have a unique purpose as guidance that fills in information or knowledge gaps that can sometimes appear when standards or regulations are written or updated.
They’ve been around for a long time but, despite what you might think, they are not owned by Gas Safe Register: they are owned by the organisation that writes them. Gas Safe’s role is to register them, maintain them in a central repository that all gas engineers can access, and to let gas engineers know when a bulletin has been updated or a new one created.
What do they cover?
More than 160 Technical Bulletins cover a huge range of different aspects of our industry. They are written by the Technical Bulletin Committee, of which Gas Safe Register is a member, sometimes bringing in specialist expertise and knowledge when required –
for example, the recently published TB 163 on the requirements for commissioning appliances connected to custom or specialist flues systems.
How long are they valid for?
The Technical Bulletin Committee review the documents regularly. They may be updated when standards or regulations are updated, or withdrawn if the gap in knowledge or information has been closed within these updates.
Older, legacy Technical Bulletins that cover, for example, appliances that are no longer manufactured or where the manufacturer itself no longer exists, may remain valid but cannot be updated. Gas Safe Register is working towards creating an archive for these.
The committee will withdraw a Technical Bulletin if it is no longer necessary or if the guidance it contains becomes incorrect or outdated because of standards or legislative changes.
For example, the guidance TB 008 (Flues in Voids) now forms part of Approved Document J and BS 5400 Part 1. It is still valid and current but may be withdrawn at the next committee review.
Where can I found out if there is a Technical Bulletin that covers the work I’m doing?
Technical Bulletin 000 is the comprehensive index of all 160+ Technical Bulletins held by Gas Safe Register. Sign into your online account at www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk/sign-in and visit the Technical Information area.
Choose Technical Bulletins
TB 000 should always be one of the newest because it is updated every time a Technical Bulletin is published.
How do I know whether a Technical Bulletin has been updated?
TB 000 lists all Technical Bulletins by the number, subject, publication date and status. The status will indicate whether a Bulletin is current or has been withdrawn. All updates to Technical Bulletins are communicated via Registered Gas Engineer magazine in print and via the monthly enews, website and social channels.
Please make sure your email address held by Gas Safe Register is up to date so that you receive the latest information about important technical updates from the Register and Registered Gas Engineer magazine.