Emergency control valve (ECV) rules: regulation 9
Regulation 9 requires an emergency control in a suitable, easily reached position with adequate access before gas is first supplied. Its lever must lie parallel to the pipe when open, open and shut must be marked, and a control away from the primary meter needs a permanent notice saying what to do if gas escapes.
Reviewed by Jordan Valentine-Dunn, Gas Safe registered engineer · Portsmouth Gas Heating · Last reviewed November 2026
An emergency control valve must be fitted where it can be reached easily, with a firmly fixed lever or hand-wheel, a clear open and shut marking and, if it sits away from the meter, a permanent escape-of-gas notice. Regulation 9 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 sets those rules.
What does regulation 9 say about emergency controls?
Regulation 9 is headed Emergency controls. Paragraph 1 applies before gas is first turned on to premises, and paragraphs 2 to 4 say how the control is built, marked and labelled. The table sets out each paragraph in plain terms.
| What is required | In plain terms | Regulation |
|---|---|---|
| A control in a suitable position | No one may turn gas on to premises for the first time unless an emergency control is fitted in a suitable position, can be reached easily and has adequate access | 9(1) |
| A fixed key, lever or hand-wheel | The installer makes sure any key, lever or hand-wheel is firmly fixed to the control's operating spindle | 9(2)(a) |
| Lever position when open and shut | A key or lever lies parallel to the axis of the pipe when the control is open; unless it moves only horizontally, no gas can pass when it is pushed fully down | 9(2)(b) |
| Open and shut marked | The way to operate it is permanently marked on the control, or a durable notice nearby shows whether it is open or shut | 9(2)(c) |
| Hand-wheel direction | A hand-wheel shows which way it turns to open and shut the control | 9(2)(d) |
| Notice for a control away from the primary meter | A durable, clearly worded notice near the control tells people what to do if gas escapes | 9(3) |
| Notice kept legible | Whoever first supplies gas keeps that notice clearly worded, and amends or replaces it promptly if it is not | 9(4) |
| Cylinders | The regulation does not apply to gas from a refillable cylinder, unless two or more cylinders are connected through an automatic change-over device | 9(5) |
The regulation gives no valve type, pipe size or height, so it sets what the control must do, not how it is made. The installer and the person who first supplies gas carry the duties, and the engineer's own competence decides the method.
Which way should the lever of an emergency control point?
Parallel to the pipe when the control is open. Regulation 9(2)(b) also says that, unless the lever moves only horizontally, gas must not be able to pass when it is pushed fully down. In practice a lever across the pipe, or pushed down, reads as shut.
What notice must go on a gas meter?
Regulation 15 asks for a notice in permanent form, prominently displayed on or near a primary meter, explaining the procedure if gas escapes. It applies to a meter installed after the regulations came into force on 3 October 1998, and to the first supply through an existing one.
| Case | What must be displayed | Regulation |
|---|---|---|
| Gas supplied through a primary meter | A suitably worded notice in permanent form, prominently displayed on or near the meter, explaining what to do if gas escapes | 15(1) |
| Meter installed or relocated more than 2 metres from, or out of sight of, the nearest upstream emergency control | A permanent notice on or near the meter showing where that control is | 15(2) |
What should a householder do if they smell gas?
Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999, free, at any hour. National Gas also lists the steps: do not smoke or light matches, do not switch electrical devices on or off, open doors and windows, and turn the gas off at the meter's control handle unless the meter is in a cellar.
What do the rules look like on a real job?
- Worked example 1: a new meter box on the front wall with the emergency control beside the meter. The control is next to the primary meter, so the regulation 9(3) notice is not needed, but the regulation 15(1) notice about escaping gas must be on or near the meter. The lever lies along the pipe when open and is marked open and shut, so 9(2)(b) and 9(2)(c) are met.
- Worked example 2: a meter relocated into an outbuilding with the control 4 metres away in the house. The control is away from the primary meter, so 9(3) needs a durable escape-of-gas notice by the control. The meter is also more than 2 metres from the nearest upstream control, so 15(2) needs a permanent notice at the meter showing where it is.
Only a Gas Safe registered engineer can install, alter, service or certify gas fittings, and the sizing, siting and testing of an emergency control are theirs. This page sets out what regulations 9 and 15 say; it is not a substitute for the regulations or for the engineer's judgement on site.
A Manifold gas safety record can carry the emergency control check and the notices on the job, so the finding prints on the certificate and is on file for the next visit.
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Last reviewed November 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or safety advice, gas safety work must be carried out by an appropriately Gas Safe registered engineer. Rules can change, so check the linked official sources for the current position.