Industrial safety requirements concerning gas pipeline inlets, including for residential buildings

The State Industrial Safety Supervision conducts state oversight of the organization of work regarding hazardous production facilities (hereinafter - HPF) and/or potentially hazardous facilities (hereinafter - PHF) in the field of industrial safety.

According to paragraph 16 of Appendix 2 to the Law of the Republic of Belarus dated January 5, 2016 No. 354-3 "On Industrial Safety" (hereinafter - the Law), the facilities of the gas distribution system and gas consumption are classified as PHF.

In accordance with paragraph 4 of the Rules for Ensuring Industrial Safety in the Field of Gas Supply, approved by the resolution of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus dated December 5, 2022 No. 66 (hereinafter - the Rules), the facilities of the gas distribution system - a production complex that is part of the gas supply system and consists of organizationally and economically interconnected facilities intended for organizing the supply of gases to gas consumption facilities from the gas distribution station or storage facilities for liquefied hydrocarbon gases (hereinafter - LHG) up to the shut-off device on the gas pipeline input.

Based on the conceptual apparatus of the Law of the Republic of Belarus dated January 4, 2003 No. 176-3 "On Gas Supply", the Rules, as well as SN 4.03.01-2019 "Gas Distribution and Gas Consumption", gas pipeline inputs (including to residential buildings) are classified as external gas pipelines of gas distribution system facilities from the point of connection to the distribution gas pipeline to the shut-off device inclusive when entering the building.

In accordance with the Regulation on the Registration of Potentially Hazardous Facilities, approved by the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated August 5, 2016 No. 613 (hereinafter - the Regulation), registration is required for PHF if they are classified in accordance with paragraph 16 of Appendix 2 to the Law as facilities of the gas distribution system and gas consumption, where natural gas with excess pressure up to 1.2 MPa or LHG with excess pressure up to 1.6 MPa is present or may be present (external gas pipelines of cities and settlements, including inter-settlement, gas pipelines and gas equipment of industrial, agricultural and other organizations from the outlet shut-off device of the gas distribution station or other gas source to the shut-off device inclusive on the gas pipeline input to the gas consumption facility, excluding the housing stock).

According to the Regulation, for the registration of PHF, the owner of the PHF - the subject of industrial safety, including the state body that operates the PHF owned by it under the right of ownership, economic management or operational management, or on other grounds provided by law or contract, i.e., the owner of the PHF is a legal entity that operates the PHF, and which, as the owner or under a contract with the owner, bears responsibility in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

Facilities of the gas distribution system (including gas pipeline inputs) put into operation after construction are subject to acceptance for operation in the manner defined in Chapter 2 of the Rules, with the condition that the participation of an official of the State Industrial Safety Supervision in the working commission during the acceptance for operation of construction facilities of low and medium pressure gas pipeline inputs to residential buildings is not mandatory.

In accordance with Article 86 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus dated October 14, 2022 No. 213-3 "On Licensing", for the performance of works on the design and installation of gas distribution system facilities, a license for the right to carry out activities in the field of industrial safety is required.

According to paragraph 8 of the Regulation on the Gasification of Residential Housing Stock of Citizens with Natural Gas, approved by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated June 2, 2006 No. 368, the design and installation of gas distribution system facilities (up to the shut-off device of the gas pipeline input) for the gasification of the operating residential housing stock of citizens is carried out by organizations that have a license to carry out activities in the field of industrial safety, the work and/or service of which is related to HPF, PHF, technical devices.

Responsibility for conducting entrepreneurial activities without licenses, where such licenses are mandatory, is provided for in part 1 of Article 13.3 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offenses.