131   Charging of aerosols and disposable containers with liquefied flammable gas

(1)  In this clause, charging area means the area in a building in which aerosols or disposable containers are charged with liquefied flammable gas.

(2)  A person must not in a building, personally or by his or her employees or agents, charge aerosols or disposable containers with liquefied flammable gas:

(a)  without the prior approval of the WorkCover Authority, and

(b)  unless the requirements of subclauses (3)–(9) are observed.

(3)  The charging area in a building must be separated from all other parts of the building by a vapour-tight wall that may have the following but no other openings:

(a)  a doorway, and

(b)  openings each not exceeding 0.1 square metre in area for the passage of containers into and from the charging area.

(4)  A charging area must be equipped with a system of mechanical ventilation that is separate from any other such system in the building and so constructed, maintained and operated that:

(a)  the concentration of any gas escaping into the atmosphere of the charging area is at all times kept less than 25 per cent of the lower explosive limit of the gas, and

(b)  gas so escaping does not flow through any doorway or other opening referred to in subclause (3).

(5)  The ducting of the system of mechanical ventilation must not pass through any part of the building other than the charging area and must be such that the air drawn from the charging area is discharged into the atmosphere outside the building at a point above the level of every part of the roof of the building that is within 10 metres, measured laterally, from that point.

(6)  The door of a doorway referred to in subclause (3) must:

(a)  have double hinges so as to be able to be opened both inwards and outwards, and

(b)  be kept closed at all times except when it is necessarily open for the passage of persons or materials.

(7)  All piping conveying liquefied flammable gas from the storage tank for the gas to the charging area must:

(a)  conform to AS 4041 (Pressure piping) or be approved, and

(b)  be joined by welding, and

(c)  be equipped with a manual shut-off valve at the tank and a manual shut-off valve immediately outside the building, and

(d)  be equipped with an excess flow valve and a manual shut-off valve at every point where the gas enters a flexible connection to the charging machine.

(8)  The valves referred to in subclause (7) (c) and (d) must conform to AS 1596 (Storage and handling of LP gas) or be otherwise approved.

(9)  A gas detector that will function whenever liquefied flammable gas is present in the air at a concentration of 25 per cent or more of the lower explosive limit for the gas used to charge the aerosols or disposable containers must be installed in a position adjacent to every charging machine and every opening referred to in subclause (3) (b).

(10)  For the purpose of subclause (9), a gas detector functions if it:

(a)  produces a sound not less than 105 decibels, and

(b)  gives a visible signal, and

(c)  shuts off the flow of gas into the building referred to in subclause (3).

(11)  Clause 94 applies to and in respect of a charging area as if:

(a)  a reference in that clause to a depot or the licensee of premises in or on which a depot is situated were a reference to the charging area of a building or the occupier of that building, respectively, and

(b)  the charging area were a location in Zone 1, and

(c)  an area outside the charging area within a 5 metre radius of any of the openings referred to in subclause (3) and to a height of 1.5 metres above flood level were a location in Zone 2.

Contravention of this clause is an offence and is punishable in accordance with clause 340.