Commercial kitchen certificate scope guide
A commercial gas certificate covers only the equipment and checks actually listed
A boiler, plant-room or landlord gas record does not automatically include the catering line. Before booking, define the fuel, supply, every kitchen appliance, ventilation arrangement and evidence needed so the engineer and record match the real job.
The direct answer
Four tests decide whether catering appliances are covered
Every appliance must be in scope
The booking and final record should identify each oven, cooker, fryer, grill, chargrill, hob, water boiler or other gas appliance inspected. Equipment left off the list should not be assumed to be covered.
Natural gas and LPG are separate
Confirm mains natural gas, bulk LPG, cylinders or a mixed arrangement. The engineer's registered competence and the inspection method must match the fuel as well as the appliance.
Commercial does not mean every appliance
Commercial boiler, pipework or plant competence does not by itself cover commercial catering appliances. Check the engineer's current Gas Safe ID-card categories for the exact work.
The document must show what was done
A useful record identifies the checks, results, defects, limitations and safety actions. The certificate title cannot expand a visit that covered only part of the installation.
Certificate scope matrix
Similar record names can cover very different gas work
| Record or visit | Usually addresses | Does not automatically include | Best booking route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial catering gas-safety record, often called CP42 | Fixed kitchen supply, declared cooking appliances, visible pipework, ventilation relationship, extraction, interlocks, flues, safety devices and findings within scope. | Boilers, plant rooms, laundry appliances, landlord accommodation or mobile units unless expressly added with the right competence. | Declare every fixed-kitchen appliance and whether the fuel is natural gas or LPG. |
| General commercial gas or plant record | Named boilers, water heaters, plant, meters, pipework or other specifically agreed commercial equipment. | Cookers, ovens, fryers, grills and the catering ventilation relationship merely because they share a meter or building. | Request a separate or combined commercial catering scope with matching categories. |
| Landlord Gas Safety Record | Relevant appliances and flues provided for residential tenants or licensees, with the statutory landlord information and distribution duties. | A restaurant, hotel or takeaway kitchen operating as a commercial workspace. | Separate residential landlord and commercial catering scopes where both exist. |
| Mobile catering LPG or CP44-style record | Declared mobile unit, cylinders, regulators, hoses, pipework, appliances, isolation, ventilation, movement and findings. | A fixed commercial kitchen or equipment that was not present, connected or declared at the inspection. | Send the complete vehicle, trailer, horsebox, stall or mobile-bar arrangement. |
| Service or repair record | Maintenance, adjustment, cleaning, parts, tests and condition for the named appliance or fault. | A whole-installation gas-safety inspection or a satisfactory certificate after defects remain. | Say whether you need service, repair, safety inspection or more than one outcome. |
Start with the asset list
Do not book "one commercial gas certificate" for an undefined site
A mixed-use building may contain a restaurant kitchen, bar cellar, boiler room, staff accommodation, outdoor LPG equipment and a mobile catering unit. Those assets can involve different duties, competencies and records even when one business controls the site.
Identify each controlled area
List the trading business, landlord or tenant, kitchen, plant room, accommodation and any mobile unit. Note who owns and maintains each appliance and supply section.
Map meters, bulk storage and cylinders
State whether each area uses natural gas or LPG, where isolation is located and whether any outdoor or mobile equipment has a separate cylinder and regulator arrangement.
Record every make, model and use
Include cookers, ovens, fryers, grills, chargrills, hobs, boiling tops, water boilers, boilers and specialist equipment. Photos of data plates reduce category mismatches.
Name the client requirement
Share any council, insurer, event organiser, landlord, managing agent, franchise or contract wording. Upkeepone can then check which record and scope are relevant.
Natural gas and LPG
The appliance may look similar while the fuel route is different
HSE's commercial catering guidance covers gas work involving natural gas and LPG, but the engineer must hold valid competence relevant to the particular equipment and work. Do not assume that an appliance converted between fuels, a cylinder-fed outdoor line or a mobile installation is included in a natural-gas kitchen booking.
Mixed-fuel site?
Send a separate list for each supply. Include meter-fed kitchen equipment, cylinder-fed terrace or event equipment, stored spare cylinders and any mobile unit. The visit may be combined only when the right engineer, access and agreed scope cover every part.
Compare natural gas and LPG or use the commercial LPG certificate route.
Ventilation, extraction and interlocks
The gas appliances cannot be assessed in isolation from the kitchen air system
Adequate make-up air and extraction are essential to remove heat, fumes and combustion products. HSE says the need to interlock ventilation power with the gas supply should be assessed by a competent person. Where extraction serves as a flue for relevant type-B appliances, an appropriate interlocking arrangement is required.
Share the ventilation design and changes
Provide available canopy, fan, make-up-air and interlock information. Declare appliance additions, moves, replacements or increased cooking load since the system was designed.
Separate observation from specialist work
The gas engineer should record relevant findings and limitations. Detailed ventilation design, balancing, electrical interlock work or remedial installation may require additional competent trades and should not be silently assumed.
What useful evidence looks like
A record should help the next duty holder understand the visit
Who, where, when and which fuel
Trading name, address or unit, inspection date, registered business, engineer identity and the gas type or supply arrangement.
Every included appliance is recognisable
Appliance type, location and identifying information where available, plus the pipework, isolation, flue, restraint, hose or connection included.
Tests are visible rather than implied
The record should show the agreed checks and relevant results, not merely a certificate label with no usable equipment schedule.
Outstanding work remains clear
Unsafe findings, advisory items, isolation, inaccessible equipment, excluded areas, remedial action and any return visit should be recorded plainly.
Booking checklist
Send these details before a catering inspection is agreed
Describe the site
Postcode, fixed kitchen or mobile unit, business use, trading hours, access, parking, loading, keys, permits and the deadline for evidence.
Declare fuel and supply
Natural gas or LPG, meter or cylinders, regulator arrangement, isolation points and whether several supplies or areas must be covered.
List all equipment
Every catering appliance plus boilers or other gas equipment, with data-plate photos, installation changes and recent faults where possible.
State the required outcome
Safety inspection, CP42-style catering record, mobile LPG or CP44 record, service, repair, installation, commissioning or a combined visit.
Possible gas escape
Do not use an inspection booking as an emergency response
If gas is suspected, avoid flames and do not operate electrical switches. For mains gas in Great Britain call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. For LPG follow the supplier's emergency instructions. Evacuate and call 999 where there is fire, immediate danger or any doubt.
Service areas
Regular commercial catering enquiries across London, Essex and Kent
Regular work covers London, Essex and Kent. Enquiries in Hertfordshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Sussex can also be considered when the right trade is available. Other UK areas are considered by request, subject to the appliance list, engineer categories, travel and appointment requirements.
Choose the related route
Match the page to the equipment and evidence you need
Commercial catering gas certificate
Use this for restaurants, pubs, cafés, hotels, schools, takeaways and production kitchens with declared natural-gas or LPG catering equipment.
Commercial gas certificate
Use this when boilers, water heaters, plant rooms or other commercial appliances need a defined inspection alongside or separately from the kitchen.
Food truck, trailer or mobile bar
Use the mobile route for cylinders, regulators, hoses, movement, storage, ventilation and every appliance in a declared mobile setup.
Commercial catering gas law guide
Use the legal guide for maintenance duties, inspection frequency, competent work, CP42 and CP44 record names, ventilation and interlocks.
Primary UK sources
Check maintenance, competence and ventilation guidance at source
HSE: maintaining catering gas equipmentWhy inspection intervals vary with equipment and use, with annual inspection a reasonable general minimum.
HSE: ventilation of catering kitchensMake-up air, extraction, design information, competent assessment and appropriate interlocking arrangements.
HSE: check a Gas Safe engineerHow to find and verify a registered business or engineer and confirm the current work categories before gas work starts.
Catering certificate scope questions
Commercial gas certificate and catering FAQs
Does a commercial gas safety certificate automatically cover catering appliances?
What should a catering gas-safety record identify?
Can an engineer qualified for commercial boilers inspect catering equipment?
Is CP42 the correct certificate for a fixed commercial kitchen?
Can the same catering record cover natural gas and LPG?
Does a fixed-kitchen certificate cover a food truck or catering trailer?
How often should commercial catering gas equipment be inspected?
Does the inspection include kitchen ventilation and the gas interlock?
Who should arrange the catering gas inspection in leased premises?
What information should I send before booking?
Need the kitchen included?
Send the complete asset list before choosing the certificate name
Upkeepone can check the premises, fuel, catering appliances, other commercial plant, ventilation questions, engineer categories and requested evidence before an appointment is agreed. Attendance, a satisfactory result or one combined record cannot be promised until the scope and findings are known.
Possible gas escapes must follow the emergency route above.
