Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

E — Use of Gas Propulsion Systems and Gas-Fired Appliances

Use of gas propulsion systems

109.—(1) A person shall not use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road a vehicle with a gas propulsion system unless the whole of such system is in a safe condition.

(2) A person shall not use, or cause or permit to be used, in any gas supply system for the propulsion of a vehicle when the vehicle is on a road, any fuel except liquefied petroleum gas.

(3) A person shall not use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road a vehicle which is propelled by gas unless the gas container in which such fuel is stored is on the motor vehicle, and not on any trailer, and in the case of an articulated vehicle, on the portion of the vehicle to which the engine is fitted.

(4) In this regulation and in regulation 110 “liquefied petroleum gas” means—

(a) butane gas in any phase which meets the requirements contained in the specification of commercial butane and propane issued by the British Standards Institution under the number BS4250: 1975 and published on 29th August 1975; or

(b) propane gas in any phase which meets the requirements contained in the said specification; or

(c) any mixture of such butane gas and such propane gas.

Use of gas-fired appliances — general

110.—(1) A person shall not use, or cause or permit to be used, in or on a vehicle on a road a gas-fired appliance unless the whole of such appliance and the gas system attached thereto is in an efficient and safe condition.

(2) A person shall not use, or cause or permit to be used, in a gas-fired appliance in or on a vehicle on a road any fuel except liquefied petroleum gas as defined in regulation 109(4).

(3) A person shall not use, or cause or permit to be used, in or on a vehicle on a road a gas-fired appliance unless the vehicle is so ventilated that—

(a) an ample supply of air is available for the operation of the appliance;

(b) the use of the appliance does not adversely affect the health or comfort of a person using the vehicle; and

(c) any unburnt gas is safely disposed of to the outside of the vehicle.

(4) A person shall not use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road a vehicle in or on which there is—

(a) one gas-fired appliance unless the gas supply for such appliance is shut off at the point where it leaves the container at all times when the appliance is not in use;

(b) more than one gas-fired appliance each of which has the same supply of gas unless the gas supply for such appliances is shut off at the point where it leaves the container at all times when none of such appliances is in use; or

(c) more than one gas-fired appliance each of which does not have the same supply of gas unless each gas supply for such appliances is shut off at the point where it leaves the container at all times when none of such appliances which it supplies is in use.

Use of gas-fired appliances when a vehicle is in motion

111.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), this regulation applies to motor vehicles and trailers.

(2) Paragraphs (3) and (4) do not apply to a vehicle constructed or adapted for the conveyance of goods under controlled temperatures.

(3) A person shall not use, or cause or permit to be used, in a vehicle to which this paragraph applies, while the vehicle is in motion on a road, a gas-fired appliance except—

(a) a gas-fired appliance which is fitted to engineering plant while the plant is being used for the purposes of the engineering operations for which it was designed;

(b) a gas-fired appliance which is permanently attached to a bus, provided that any appliance for heating or cooling the interior of the bus for the comfort of the driver and passengers does not expose a naked flame on the outside of the appliance; or

(c) in any other vehicle, a refrigerating appliance or an appliance which does not expose a naked flame on the outside of the appliance and which is permanen tly attached to the vehicle and designed for the purpose of heating any part of the interior of the vehicle for the comfort of the driver and passengers.

(4) A person shall not use, or cause or permit to be used, in a vehicle to which this paragraph applies, while the vehicle is in motion on a road, a gas-fired appliance to which—

(a) paragraph (3)(a) refers, unless the appliance complies with the requirements specified in paragraphs 12 and 13 of Schedule 5 and the gas system to which it is attached complies with the requirements specified in paragraphs 2 to 9 and 15 of Schedule 5; or

(b) paragraph (3)(b) refers, unless the appliance complies with the requirements specified in paragraphs 12, 13 and 14 of Schedule 5 and the gas system to which it is attached complies with the requirements specified in paragraphs 2 to 9, 11 and 15 of Schedule 5; or

(c) paragraph (3)(c) refers, unless the appliance complies—

(i) if it is fitted to a motor vehicle, with the requirements specified in paragraphs 12, 13 and 14 of Schedule 5; and

(ii) in any other case, with the requirements specified in paragraphs 12 and 13 of Schedule 5;

and the gas system to which the appliance is attached complies with the requirements specified in paragraphs 2 to 9 and 15 of Schedule 5.

(5) A person shall not use, or cause or permit to be used, in a vehicle to which this regulation applies which is in motion on a road, a gas-fired appliance unless it is fitted with a valve which stops the supply of gas to the appliance if the appliance fails to perform its function and causes gas to be emitted.