LPG Tank and Installation Safety and Inspection

LPG tank periodic inspection: why does the interval depend on a "written plan"?

Many plants that use LPG in oven and roasting lines, steam boilers, heating or forklifts have an above-ground or buried bulk LPG tank on site. The most common mistake about LPG tank periodic inspection is to assume the tank is a pressure vessel inspected "once a year" like a compressor tank. The rule is different.

Table 1 of Annex III of the Work Equipment Regulation, renewed on 23 December 2025, gives the following interval for "liquefied gas tanks (LPG and similar, underground and above ground)":

Periodic inspection is carried out at the interval given in the written plan, as examination only.
The tank is reassessed at the end of 10 years.
The standards TS EN 13445-5, TS 1446, TS EN 12817 and TS EN 12819 are listed as inspection criteria.

A footnote to the table defines the "written plan" as the document the employer prepares for periodic inspections according to the relevant standards. In other words, the document that determines your tank's inspection frequency is the plan you have prepared; for a tank without a plan it is not possible to say "it is not yet due". Another footnote of the same table requires safety valves on equipment such as LPG tanks, whose standard includes a safety valve test, to be tested within the maximum intervals stated in the standard.

Art. 111 of the Regulation on the Fire Protection of Buildings (BYKHY) also sets the following schedule for places where LPG is stored: static earthing measurements are carried out at least once a year by certified persons or organisations, hydrostatic tests of spring-loaded safety valves every 5 years, and hydrostatic tests of tanks every 10 years; test and inspection methods defined in the standards as alternatives to the hydrostatic test may also be applied.

The LPG tank accredited inspection requirement: who carries out the inspection?

The LPG tank and installation are among the equipment whose periodic inspection must be carried out not by a single authorised person but by an accredited inspection body; in the renewed text these bodies are referred to as "equipment inspection bodies". What this means on site:

Confirm that LPG tanks and installations are within the scope of accreditation of the body that will carry out the inspection.
Before the inspection date, confirm with the body the contract and registration procedures to be completed through ISG-KATIP (the Ministry's online OHS registration system).
Check that the report clearly states the standard relied on, the tank's serial number, the measurement and test values, and the opinion "fit for use" or "not fit for use". For reading the report, see our article on how to read a periodic inspection report.

The tank often belongs to the LPG distribution company and is left with the business under a contract. In this case, state clearly in the contract who will arrange the written plan, the inspection and the valve tests. Whoever owns the equipment, having the inspections and measurements of equipment used at your workplace carried out is your responsibility under Law No. 6331; keep a copy of the report in your OHS file.

Safety distances around the tank

Art. 107 of the BYKHY requires the distances of bulk LPG tanks from buildings, neighbouring plot boundaries, main traffic roads and each other to be as in Annex 10 of the regulation. The values for the tank volumes most often found in industrial plants are:

Water volume of each tank	Underground tank	Above-ground tank	Distance between tanks
Less than 0.5 m³	3 m	3 m	0
0.5–3.0 m³	3 m	3 m	1 m
3.1–10 m³	5 m	7.5 m	1 m
10.1–50 m³	7.5 m	10 m	1 m
50.1–120 m³	10 m	15 m	1.5 m

The notes to the table determine how you measure: for above-ground tanks the distance is measured from the outer surface of the tank, for underground tanks from the safety valve and filling point, and no part of an underground tank may be closer than 3 m to a building or to a plot boundary on which a building may be built. For an above-ground tank, if a reinforced concrete wall at least 1.5 m high and with 4 hours' fire resistance is built on the side facing the neighbouring plot boundary or main traffic road, the distances may be reduced by one third.

Besides the distance, the tank compound itself must comply with certain rules (Art. 107 and Art. 111):

An above-ground tank sits on non-combustible supports on a stone or concrete base; it may not be inside the same bund wall as fuel or solvent tanks and is installed at least 3 m from those walls.
There may be no pits, septic tanks or similar places around the tank. LPG is heavier than air and accumulates in such pits.
Above-ground tanks are surrounded by wire mesh or a fence at a distance of at least 3 m, and underground tanks at least 1 m; no grass or easily combustible material is kept in this area.
No power transmission line may pass near or over the tank; warning signs readable from every direction are placed at the tank compound.
At least 2 dry chemical powder extinguishers of 12 kg are kept in the store and tank area; a sprinkler system for cooling is mandatory for stores with a total capacity exceeding 10 m³ and for above-ground tanks.

Putting pallets, empty packaging or scrap inside the fence is a deficiency often seen on site at food and metal plants in Bursa and the surrounding provinces. The tank compound is not a store.

LPG installation safety and leak checks

Like the tank, the pipework, valves and points of use connected to it also carry risk. Art. 111 of the BYKHY requires the electrical installation in the store and tank compound to be designed to be explosion-proof and spark-safe, an ATEX-certified gas detection system to be installed against gas leaks, and the gas shut-off valve to be connected to the detection system so that it closes automatically in an emergency and can also be closed remotely. Lightning protection and the proper earthing of tanks, pipes and dispensers are in the same article.

Two rules for LPG leak checks never change:

Leaks are not searched for with a flame. Under Art. 109/11 of the BYKHY, gas leaks are checked with plenty of foamed soap; no check is made with fire.
Low points are checked. LPG sinks to the ground; it accumulates in channels, manholes, pits and basements. Gas detectors are therefore positioned close to the floor.

The tank compound and filling point should be classified in your explosion protection document as places where an explosive atmosphere may form; for this, see our articles on explosive atmospheres and the ATEX document, and for what to do in a leak, on gas leaks.

Changing forklift LPG cylinders

With LPG forklifts, the risk often arises not at the tank but during the cylinder change done once or twice a day. Art. 109/11 of the BYKHY leaves the changing of domestic and industrial cylinders to trained staff of the dealers who sell the cylinders and to the dealer's responsibility. Clarify in writing with your cylinder supplier, within the framework of this provision, who will change forklift cylinders. Art. 111 also provides that LPG safety measures are explained in practice by gas companies to personnel directly involved in using LPG, and that those trained are given a certificate.

Whoever makes the change, the following steps should be applied:

The forklift is driven to the designated, ventilated cylinder change point; the engine is stopped and the ignition switched off.
There is no smoking, sparks or open flame nearby; the change point is away from ramps, channels and manhole openings.
The cylinder valve is closed; protective gloves and glasses are used while disconnecting. If liquid LPG contacts the skin, it causes a cold burn.
The seal and connection of the new cylinder are checked; the cylinder is seated in the direction described by the manufacturer and secured with its strap.
The valve is opened slowly, and the connection is checked for leaks with soapy water.
If a leak, smell or frosting is seen, the forklift is not started and the situation is reported to the person in charge.

Full and empty cylinders are stored upright outdoors in a cage surrounded by wire fencing with a warning sign, so that the safety valve stays in the gas phase (Art. 106). For places where cylinders are stored outside the building, Annex 9 of the BYKHY gives minimum distances: for LPG up to a total of 1250 kg there is no distance requirement from the building, but a distance of at least 3 m is required from streets, pavements, schools and places open to the public; the distances increase as the quantity grows. LPG cylinders may not be kept in full basement floors below ground level of workplace or public buildings (Art. 109/6). For the forklift's start-of-shift checks, see our article on the forklift operator's daily check.

Inspection schedule and common deficiencies

Task	Frequency	Who does it?	Basis
Tank examination	At the interval in the written plan; reassessment at 10 years	Accredited inspection body	Work Equipment Reg. Annex III Table 1
Safety valve testing	Maximum interval in the standard; hydrostatic test every 5 years for spring-loaded valves	Authorised body	Annex III footnote, BYKHY Art. 111
Tank hydrostatic test	Every 10 years (alternative methods possible)	Authorised body	BYKHY Art. 111
Static earthing measurement	At least once a year	Certified person or organisation	BYKHY Art. 111
Electrical, earthing and lightning conductor	Once a year if no interval in the standard	Authorised person registered in EKIPNET (the Ministry's equipment inspector registry)	Annex III Table 3
Testing sprinkler pumps	At least once a week	The business	BYKHY Art. 111
Visual check, leak and fence check	Each shift or before use	Operator, responsible personnel	Annex III item 1.3

The deficiencies often seen on site are: the written plan never having been prepared, the report not being kept at the business on the grounds that the tank belongs to the distributor, the inside of the fence being used as a store, no calibration and test record for the gas detector, and the cylinder cage being positioned against the building entrance or an escape route. The 2026 base administrative fine for failing to have the necessary inspections and measurements carried out is 33,326 TL; you can calculate the amount by number of employees and hazard class on the OHS administrative fines page.

We explained the maximum intervals for all equipment groups in our article on periodic inspection intervals for work equipment, and other pressure vessels in our article on pressure vessels and compressor tanks. To gather your LPG tank, valve tests and earthing measurements in a single schedule you can use the OHS calendar, and you can leave the planning and follow-up of inspections by authorised bodies to us under our periodic inspection service.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often is periodic inspection of an LPG tank carried out?

Annex III does not give a fixed number of years for LPG tanks; inspection is carried out as examination only at the interval stated in the written plan the employer prepares according to the relevant standards, and the tank is reassessed at the end of 10 years. Safety valves are tested separately at the intervals in the standard.

Can an engineer registered in EKIPNET inspect an LPG tank?

Periodic inspection of the LPG tank and installation must be carried out by an accredited inspection body. Check that LPG tanks and installations are within the body's scope of accreditation.

If the tank belongs to the distribution company, whose responsibility is the inspection?

Who will arrange the inspection should be written into the contract. But because the equipment is used at your workplace, monitoring that inspections are carried out and keeping the report on file is your responsibility as the employer.

Where are forklift LPG cylinders stored?

Outdoors, in a fenced cage with warning signs, and upright. For LPG up to a total of 1250 kg, the cage must be at least 3 m from streets, pavements and places open to the public; cylinders may not be kept in full basement floors of workplace buildings.