Understanding the place of Industrial Gas ACOPs in the certification of your workforce
ACOP stands for "Approved Code of Practice," and it provides practical advice on complying with gas safety regulations. The term ACOP specifically refers to the code published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) within document L56, which accompanies the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
⚠️ Important Update
ACOPs courses are now called STGW (Standards of Training in Gas Work), effective from 1st April 2014. However, the terms are often used interchangeably in the industry.
Under UK regulations, specifically the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations (GSIUR) and the Health and Safety at Work Act, all persons working on gas must be competent to carry out their work safely.
Competence is defined as a combination of practical skill, training, knowledge, and experience to carry out the job safely, ensuring the installation is left in a safe condition for use.
ACOP/STGW courses are specifically designed for gas installers, operatives, and engineers who work outside the scope of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations.
Premises that can fall outside the scope of GSIUR — and therefore outside Gas Safe Register requirements, subject to the conditions set out in the Regulations and HSE L56 — include:
Gas is commonly used in numerous industrial settings across multiple industries:
Food Processing
Manufacturing
Other Industries
Large numbers of maintenance technicians, gas operatives, and contractors working in these factories often require specialized training in the safe use of gas in industrial settings.
IGEM (Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers) is the professional engineering institution for the gas sector. IGEM's Technical Department develops and maintains technical standards that underpin safe and efficient gas engineering practices, and these standards are highly regarded by organizations such as Ofgem, the HSE, and Gas Safe Register.
The IGEM/IG/1 standard, "Standards of Training in Gas Work," provides criteria and guidance to training providers, trainee gas engineers, and employers on the scope, standards, and quality of training required to enable a gas engineer to achieve competence.
Understanding regulations and legal requirements
Safe combustion processes and control systems
Proper ventilation and flue systems
Understanding gas pressure and flow dynamics
Certificate Validity
5 Years
STGW qualifications are valid for 5 years, after which renewal is required to maintain competence.
Course Options
ACOP/STGW training covers the critical gas control equipment that industrial operatives work with daily. Here are examples of the systems your workforce will be trained to understand, install, and maintain:
Automatic safety shut-off valves protect gas systems from over-pressure and under-pressure conditions. Understanding these critical safety components is essential for all industrial gas operatives.
Pressure regulation and control systems maintain safe operating conditions across all pressure regimes. ACOP training ensures operatives understand installation, commissioning, and maintenance procedures.
Hands-on training matters: Understanding these systems theoretically is just the beginning. ACOP/STGW certification includes practical assessment to ensure your operatives can safely work with this equipment in real-world conditions.
Brackno is an approved provider of ACOP/STGW training under UK Certification, ensuring that your workforce receives industry-recognized, high-quality training designed to meet the relevant regulatory and competence requirements.
📍 On-Site Training Available
Courses are delivered at your workplace, concentrating on your specific plant and equipment. This ensures your operatives gain hands-on experience with the actual systems they'll be working with daily.
ACOP/STGW courses and certification help satisfy the requirements for 'competence' as laid down by the Health & Safety at Work Act.
Training providers can carry out Training Needs Analysis on businesses and design specific ACOP/STGW gas courses for your workforce.
Training enables gas engineers to achieve competence in safe installation, testing, servicing, maintenance, and repair of gas systems.
It's crucial for your customers to understand the difference:
Required for work on domestic and commercial premises that fall within the scope of GSIUR
The appropriate route for industrial premises and other "out of scope" work where Gas Safe registration is not required
Important: Businesses that do not require Gas Safe Register registration, such as factories, quarries, and mines, should ensure their gas operatives hold ACOP/STGW certification. Whether particular work is in or out of scope always depends on the premises and the nature of the work — when in doubt, check against GSIUR and HSE L56.
Put the theory into practice. Our interactive analyser lets you explore fuel gas properties — composition, CV, relative density and Wobbe number against GS(M)R interchangeability bands — and the flue gas analysis that follows: CO₂ vs O₂, excess air, and Ostwald & Siegert combustion efficiency.
Try the Fuel & Flue Gas Analyser →Industrial Gas ACOP (now STGW) certification provides a recognized pathway for demonstrating workforce competence in industrial gas work that falls outside Gas Safe Register requirements. This certification ensures that your industrial workforce is properly trained, legally compliant, and equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to work safely with gas systems in manufacturing and industrial environments.
Brackno, as an approved provider under UK Certification, can deliver this essential training to your workforce — ensuring your team meets the relevant competence requirements while maintaining the highest standards of safety and competence.
As an approved provider of ACOP/STGW training under UK Certification, Brackno can deliver industry-recognized certification training for your industrial gas workforce. Contact us today to discuss your training requirements.