Campsite Gas Safety and LPG Rules for UK Sites

It is a Friday evening in October, the heating is on in the glamping pod and a guest rings to say the gas fire smells a bit odd. You are twenty minutes away. This is exactly why campsite gas safety deserves a proper plan rather than a vague assumption that "it was fine last time". LPG is brilliant for cooking and keeping guests warm, but a faulty appliance or a badly stored cylinder can turn a quiet site into an emergency very quickly.

This guide walks through who is responsible for what, how to store and sell bottled gas safely, what to do about guest owned appliances, and the records worth keeping. It suits a five van CL, a CS site or a larger touring park.

Know which gas is your responsibility

The first job is to split gas on your site into two piles: gas you provide, and gas guests bring.

Gas you provide

If you supply a gas appliance for guests to use, you are the one responsible for it. That covers heaters in pods, cookers in a camp kitchen, a boiler serving the shower block, hot water heaters in a rental caravan or a gas fire in a lodge. For appliances in accommodation you let out, the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 expect a yearly safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with a record kept and given to guests who ask for it.

Gas guests bring

A touring caravan, motorhome or tent with its own bottles is the owner's responsibility. You are not expected to service their fridge or hob. You are, however, expected to run a site where sensible rules exist and are enforced. That is where your risk assessment comes in: it should name gas as a hazard and say what you do about it.

Get your own appliances checked before the cold arrives

October is a good moment to book this in. Heaters that have sat unused since spring are the ones that fail first, and engineers get busy once the weather turns.

• Book a Gas Safe engineer and ask to see their ID card. Check the register online if you have never used them before.
• Check flues and ventilation, especially in pods and sheds that have been adapted over the years.
• Keep the certificate and note the next due date in your diary.
• Replace old flexible hoses and regulators. Rubber perishes, and the date stamped on a hose is worth reading.
• Fit carbon monoxide alarms in every unit with a gas or solid fuel appliance, and test them between every stay.

Carbon monoxide has no smell, which is why the alarm matters so much. A weekly press of the test button takes ten seconds and could be the most valuable ten seconds of your week.

Store gas cylinders safely on site

If you keep spare cylinders for your own appliances or sell refills to guests, storage becomes the main risk. The sensible basics are the same on every site:

• Keep cylinders upright and secured so they cannot fall.
• Store them outdoors in a well ventilated spot, never in a basement, cellar or enclosed shed.
• Keep them away from drains, ignition sources, bins and anything flammable.
• Use a locked cage or fenced compound so guests and children cannot tamper with them.
• Display a clear no smoking, no naked flames sign.
• Keep full and empty cylinders separate and labelled.

The amount you can store before extra rules apply depends on your set up and local requirements, so speak to your local fire and rescue service and your insurer. Larger bulk tanks have their own rules, and the supplier who installs them will usually advise on siting and inspection. Our campsite fire safety guide covers the wider picture, including extinguishers and fire points.

Selling gas refills without creating a headache

Selling bottled gas is a handy bit of extra income, and guests appreciate not having to drive to the nearest garage. It also brings liability. Only sell from a supplier you trust, check the cylinder you are handing over is in date and undamaged, and never decant gas from one bottle to another. Leave swaps to the supplier's own exchange scheme.

If you have an honesty shop, think carefully before putting gas in it. Unattended access to cylinders is not a risk worth taking. Hand them over in person, or at least from a locked store. If you are thinking about extras you can sell at your campsite, gas is one where the paperwork and storage need more care than a bag of firewood.

Set clear rules for guests

Most gas incidents on campsites come down to one of a handful of habits. Say it plainly in your terms, on your welcome message and on a sign at reception:

• Never cook inside a tent, awning or porch with a gas stove or barbecue.
• Never use a disposable or charcoal barbecue inside or under an awning, even when it looks cold.
• Turn gas off at the cylinder when you leave the unit or go to bed.
• If you smell gas, turn it off, open windows and doors, put out naked flames and tell reception straight away.
• Keep gas bottles outside tents and away from heat.

Putting the rules in the booking confirmation means every guest has seen them before they arrive. With automated guest messages in CampSuite you can send them with the pre arrival email, so you are not relying on someone reading a notice board in the rain.

Plan for a gas emergency

Decide in advance what happens if someone reports a leak or a suspected carbon monoxide problem. Write it on one page and make sure everyone who might answer the phone has read it.

• Know where your isolation points are. Mark main valves clearly and make sure staff and site sitters can find them in the dark.
• Know the number to call. In the UK the National Gas Emergency Number is 0800 111 999. Put it on your emergency sheet.
• Know your assembly point. This ties in with your emergency evacuation plan.
• Know who has the guest list. In an evacuation you need to know who is on site and where. Using digital check in means that list is on your phone, not in a diary left in the office.

Also keep first aid supplies and a few contact numbers somewhere sensible. If you have never rehearsed any of this, do it once with your family or team. It is surprising how many gaps a ten minute walk round reveals.

Keep records and tell your insurer

When something goes wrong, the first questions are always "what checks did you do?" and "can you show me?". A simple folder, paper or digital, makes life far easier:

• Annual gas safety certificates for every appliance you provide
• Engineer name and Gas Safe number
• Carbon monoxide alarm test dates
• Cylinder storage checks and any incidents
• A copy of your gas rules as sent to guests

Your insurer may have conditions attached to gas storage or appliances, so read your policy and ask if you are unsure. Our campsite insurance guide explains what to look for and what questions to ask.

The key takeaway

Gas is safe when it is looked after and dangerous when it is ignored. Get your own appliances serviced by a Gas Safe engineer, store cylinders outdoors, upright and locked, give guests simple rules before they arrive and keep a record of everything you do. Ten minutes of planning now is a lot cheaper than a phone call at ten o'clock on a cold night.

If you want to send guest rules automatically and keep an accurate list of who is on site, try CampSuite free. It is free for CL sites and CS sites, and you can see the plans for larger parks on the pricing page.