Years of faithful insurance premiums can prove valueless in the absence of a Certificate of Conformity (CoC). It is a startling fact that you stand to lose hefty amounts of money that were meant to be an “insurance” on your assets. Insurance companies will not cough-up if you cannot present a valid CoC when making a claim. Can you afford to lose all your assets and have your insurance repudiated?

A vast majority of South African citizens are moving towards the use of Gas Appliances due to the increasing cost of electricity and possible outages. However, most users are unaware of the specific regulations and safety standards with which they must comply when getting gas equipment installed in their households. Overlooking these regulations can be detrimental in many ways.

According to the Pressure Equipment Regulations (PER), all Natural Gas and Liquefied Petroleum Gas appliances and equipment should meet the specified standards to ensure safety. These regulations set out the requirements regarding the design, manufacture, operation, repair, modification, maintenance, inspection and testing of pressure equipment.  In terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993, the PER also requires persons handling the installation of any gas systems to undergo specific training and to be registered with the South African Qualification and Certification Committee – Gas (SAQCC Gas). The Registered Gas Practitioner must issue a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) for any equipment they install.

What is a CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY?

A Certificate of Conformity (CoC) for Gas installations is a legal document which must be obtained whenever a gas system is installed, modified or repaired and should be retained for possible future requirement.

Only Registered Practitioners may issue a CoC and a complete list of these practitioners can be found on SAQCC Gas website. 

COC and Insurance

Most People are oblivious to the importance of holding a CoC for every Gas installation on their properties, this includes air conditioning and refrigeration units - the importance is generally realised when it is too late. It is usual for people to get insurance cover for their properties and assets, however, it is a staggering truth that owners could be paying insurance premiums for years and end up receiving no cover in the occurrence of an incident or accident involving gas. Should there be no valid Certificate of Conformity, many insurance companies will not accept liability for costs of damage caused to property or assets. The loss and damage suffered by an owner/user due to a Gas installation for which a valid CoC has not been issued, falls entirely on the owner. Regardless of cost of reparation, the insurance will most likely not cover it.

"The majority of insurance companies would require this certificate to prove that the installation was safe and had been serviced regularly." Lanice Steward- managing director of Knight Frank Anne Porter