UKLPG Urges Outdoor Caterers to Prepare for a Safe Summer Season with the LPG Catering Code of Pract

UKLPG, the trade association for the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry, is urging outdoor caterers to get prepared for the summer season by familiarising themselves with the UKLPG Code of Practice 24 - Part 3 (Use of LPG for Commercial Catering Events, Street Food, and Mobile Catering).

The code was launched in September 2017 in partnership with the Nationwide Caterers Association (NCASS) to provide clear guidelines on the safe use of LPG at the thousands of outdoor events that take place across the country each summer - from festivals and markets, to weddings and sports fixtures, as well as the increasing number of permanent street food pitches that are popping up across our towns and cities.

The popularity of street food has helped fuel rapid growth in the outdoor catering sector. According to NCASS, the trade association for mobile caterers and street food traders, there are in excess of 13,000 outdoor catering operators in the UK, running around 15,000 outlets, consuming up to 700,000 cylinders of LPG a year, with the increase in street catering attributed to seasonal markets, farmers’ markets and festivals.

The Code provides comprehensive guidance on using LPG for cooking in mobile units, tents, marquees and stalls covering areas such as transportation, storage, set up, ventilation and disposal of cylinders.

Richard Hakeem, Technical Director at UKLPG, explains: “With the summer season approaching, LPG is the perfect choice of fuel for outside caterers, giving the benefits of gas wherever it’s needed. Its portability means it can be used anywhere from a festival field to a beer garden”.

“It’s not just used for cooking, but also for heating, power generation and refrigeration, and the codes cover all the different types of applications, as well as collating in one place all the legislation and regulations that cover the safe use of LPG. It is designed to be of practical support not just to the operators of catering units, but to local authorities, environmental health officers and health and safety advisors”.

“The Code has been very well received so far and we’d urge all outdoor caterers to familiarise themselves with it to ensure a successful and safe summer season.”

Bob Fox, Chairman at NCASS, added: “As our membership grows and outdoor catering becomes increasingly diverse and popular throughout the UK, it is important that the industry puts safety front and centre of all its operations. The new UKLPG Code will prove invaluable in keeping the industry informed of best practice.”