The Acetylene Safety (England and Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2014

Regulations 4(2) and 5(1)

SCHEDULE 1 Safety Requirements

Requirements for any acetylene equipment or acetylene manifold

1.  Any acetylene equipment or acetylene manifold may only be used if designed, manufactured and operated to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable—

(a) the uncontrolled combustion of acetylene gas;

(b) the decomposition of acetylene gas; and

(c) the formation of acetylene–derived compounds that pose a risk or are liable to initiate decomposition of acetylene gas.

2.  Any acetylene equipment or acetylene manifold may only be used if designed and manufactured to—

(a) withstand the thermal and mechanical stresses of any decomposition of the acetylene gas that it contains; or

(b) dissipate or direct the thermal and mechanical stresses of any decomposition of the acetylene gas that it contains.

Further requirements for an acetylene manifold

3.  An acetylene manifold may only be used if it is—

(a) designed to prevent the mixture of air, or oxygen, with acetylene gas within the acetylene manifold;

(b) fitted with rigid pipework with an internal diameter equal to or less than 25mm;

(c) fitted with a flexible hose where rigid pipework is not practicable and the flexible hose—

(i) is kept at the minimum practicable length; and

(ii) has an internal diameter equal to or less than 25mm; and

(d) not subjected to pressure greater than that within any attached cylinder.

Requirements of a system of connected acetylene equipment

4.  A system of connected acetylene equipment may only be used if it is fitted—

(a) with a pressure regulation device that is—

(i) designed and constructed for use with compressed acetylene gas; and

(ii) positioned as close as is reasonably practicable to the acetylene manifold or, where no acetylene manifold is used, to the cylinder;

(b) within one metre of the pressure regulation device, with a flame arrestor; and

(c) with a non-return device, effective against the return of gas towards the cylinder, and a quick-acting shut-off device, and both devices are positioned as close as is reasonably practicable to the acetylene manifold or, where no acetylene manifold is used, to the cylinder.

5.  A system of connected acetylene equipment may only be used if the internal diameter of the pipework does not exceed the maximum diameter specified in the Table for the respective pressure of the compressed acetylene gas in use.

Requirements for a flame arrestor

6.  A flame arrestor that is put into service after the relevant date may only be used if, at the time it is put into service, it complies with the requirements of BSEN 730-1:2002 or any other relevant international standard recognised for use in any EEA State at the relevant date.

Requirement for an isolation valve

7.  A manually operated isolation valve must be fitted as close as is reasonably practicable upstream of each acetylene burner or acetylene-consuming equipment.

Cylinder colouring

8.  A cylinder must be painted, on both its body and shoulder, in the colour matching number 3007 of the Classic RAL system(1).

Interpretation

9.  In this Schedule—

“acetylene burner” means any equipment, including devices and valves, designed for use with ignited acetylene gas;

“acetylene-consuming equipment” means any equipment designed to convert acetylene gas into another chemical form;

“flame arrestor” means a device designed and constructed to arrest the progression of any flame resulting from the decomposition or uncontrolled combustion of acetylene gas;

“system of connected acetylene equipment” means any connected equipment, whether permanently or temporarily connected, which is intended for use with compressed acetylene gas, or which is used with compressed acetylene gas, including acetylene equipment, a cylinder, an acetylene manifold and other accessories; and

“quick-acting shut-off device” means a safety device effective against the continued release of—

(a)

acetylene gas; and

(b)

products of decomposition caused by—

(i)

the decomposition of acetylene gas; or

(ii)

any uncontrolled combustion of acetylene gas.

Table

Pipework maximum internal diameter (mm)	Maximum pressure of contained compressed acetylene gas (bar(g))
23	1.5
25	1.3
35	1.0
42	0.8

Regulation 16(1)

SCHEDULE 2 Amendments

The Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998

1.  In Schedule 2 to the Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998(2) after paragraph 13 insert—

“14.   Any activity regulated by the Acetylene Safety (England and Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2014.”.

The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009

2.  In regulation 14(5) of the 2009 Regulations after “undertaken” insert “, after these Regulations have come into force,”.

The Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations 2012

3.  The Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations 2012(3) are amended as follows—

(a) in regulation 9 (Fees payable etc.)—

(i) after paragraph (4) insert—

“(4A) Where an application in relation to the 2014 Acetylene Regulations is made for a purpose specified in column 1 of the Table in Part 3A of Schedule 8, the fee specified in the corresponding entry in column 2 of that Table is payable by the applicant to the Executive, or to the ONR where it is the licensing authority by virtue of the 2014 Acetylene Regulations.

(4B) An additional fee is payable by the applicant to the Executive, or to the ONR where it is the licensing authority by virtue of the 2014 Acetylene Regulations, where work is required to be carried out by its specialist inspectors in connection with any application in relation to the 2014 Acetylene Regulations that is made for a purpose specified in column 1 of the Table in Part 3A of Schedule 8 for which there is a corresponding entry in column 3 of that Table, and the fee for work in connection with each such purpose is that specified in the corresponding entry in column 3 of that Table for each hour worked, adjusted pro rata for a period worked of less than one hour, and such fee is payable prior to the notification of the result of the application.”

(ii) in paragraph (13) before the definition of the “2014 Regulations” insert—

““the 2014 Acetylene Regulations” means the Acetylene Safety (England and Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2014;”.

(b) in Schedule 8 (Fees payable etc.) after Part 3 insert—

“Part 3A Applications under, and replacement of licence under, the Acetylene Safety (England and Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2014

1 Purpose of Application	2 Fee	3 Fee for work by specialist inspector
Original application for a licence for the manufacture of compressed acetylene gas, the compression of acetylene gas, the filling of a cylinder with compressed acetylene gas or any combination of those activities under regulation 6.	£39	£127 per hour worked
Application to renew a licence under regulation 6.	£39	£127 per hour worked
Application to vary a licence under regulation 6.	£39	£127 per hour worked
Application to transfer a licence under regulation 6.	£39	£127 per hour worked
Replacement of any of the licences referred to in this part if lost.	£39”

Regulation 16(2) and (3)

SCHEDULE 3 Repeals and Revocations

PART 1 Repeals

1. Title	2. Reference	3. Extent of repeal
Explosives Act 1875.	c. 17.	Sections 43 and 104.
Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008*.	c. 13.	In Schedule 6, in the entry relating to the Explosives Act 1875, “43”.
Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008*.	c. 20.	Paragraph 1 of Schedule 3.

PART 2 Revocations

Instrument	Reference	Extent of Revocation
The Order of Secretary of State (No 5) relating to Compressed Acetylene in Admixture with Oil-Gas, 1898	S.R. & O. 1898/248	The whole instrument
The Order of Secretary of State (No 5A) relating to Compressed Acetylene in Admixture with Oil-Gas (1905)	S.R. & O. 1905/1128	The whole instrument
The Order of Secretary of State (No 9), dated June 23, 1919, relating to Compressed Acetylene contained in a Porous Substance (1919)	S.R.& O. 1919/809	The whole instrument
The Order in Council (No 30) prohibiting the Manufacture, Importation, Keeping, Conveyance or Sale of Acetylene when an Explosive as defined by the Order, 1937	S.R. & O. 1937/54	The whole instrument
The Compressed Acetylene Order 1947	S.R. & O. 1947/805	The whole instrument
The Compressed Acetylene (Importation) Regulations 1978	S.I. 1978/1723	The whole instrument
The Explosives Act 1875 (Exemptions) Regulations 1979	S.I. 1979/1378	The whole instrument
The Explosives Act 1875 etc. (Metrication and Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 1984	S.I. 1984/510	The whole instrument except for regulations 1(1) and (2)(a), 2 and Schedule 1 to the extent that they relate to section 32 of the Explosives Act 1875.
The Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations 2012	S.I. 2012/1652	Regulation 9(4) and (7) to (9) and Parts 3 and 5 to 7 of Schedule 8.

(1)

The Classic RAL system is used to define colour standards and is available, without charge, from the website: www.ralcolours.com.

(2)

S.I. 1998/494, amended by S.I.2006/557; there are other amending instruments but none is relevant.

(3)

S.I. 2012/1652, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.