NR23 001 Calors New Position On Small Cylinder Filling A Welcome Opportunity says BSS
Calor has made a statement to the BSS about the continued supply of LPG in its small cylinder sizes, 3.9kg propane and 4.5kg butane, for the immediate future which gives those affected boat owners a little breathing space and a golden opportunity to plan for alternative arrangements – either LPG cylinders from alternative suppliers or introducing safe and well-fitted adjustments to their gas system by competent installers.
The Calor statement to the BSS in full says;
In January we announced plans to streamline our small cylinder range to help put us in a better position to service our wider cylinder customers who rely on us to provide their home heating and hot water.
In taking this decision we underestimated the impact this would have on specific user groups who use the 3.9kg propane and 4.5kg butane cylinders for caravanning and boating. We have listened to concerns and we are finalising plans to continue to exchange and refill serviceable* cylinders of these sizes, phasing them out of supply over a longer time frame. This should give users additional time to source an alternative way to power their onboard facilities.
We are working out the full details of this process and will communicate this as soon as we can.
*Serviceable cylinders are those that do not require refurbishment, due to age or damage. Calor is able to keep this stock of cylinders in circulation for the foreseeable future. However, they will be phased out once they reach end of life and will not be replaced by new cylinders of these sizes. Cylinders that are deemed unserviceable will be taken out of circulation. This means that over time, and as the number of cylinders decrease, supplies will be limited for users of these specific sizes.
Our advice to boaters is to take advantage of this new Calor position and use the opportunity it affords to, if changes are necessary, find competent expertise in local boats yards or through the Gas Safe Register www.gassaferegister.co.uk/find-an-engineer-or-check-the-register/ and ensure any changes are safe and compliant with boat LPG Codes of Practice and BSS Requirements.
In the coming weeks the BSS will add useful information to our website to help affected boat owners transition to alternative arrangements.
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NOTES FOR EDITORS
The BSS is a public safety project owned jointly by the Canal & River Trust, registered as a charity with the charity number 1146792, and the Environment Agency. At least 14 other navigation and harbour authorities have also adopted it. The navigation authorities’ purposes for the Scheme are to help reduce the risks of fire, explosion and pollution on small craft. This is done by promoting fire safety and pollution avoidance advice to help boat owners keep themselves and their crews’ safe as well as regular examination of fuel systems, gas systems, electrical systems and appliances. The BSS is responsible for the administration and supervision of the BSS examination scheme.
BSS certification has a life span of four years. Navigation authorities using the Scheme usually require BSS certification at the time of licensing, registration, toll renewal or similar. The certification is achieved when a boat is found to be compliant with all the BSS requirements relevant for that boat. These can be freely downloaded or read on www.boatsafetyscheme.org . The compliance check is carried out by authorized and independent practitioners known as BSS Examiners.