The British Beer & Pub Association have published a guide for Landlords and Bar Managers on the use of drinks dispense gases. The major points are as follows:Licensees are under immense cost pressures, with competition from other leisure activities and greater consumption of alcohol in the home. Increasingly, outlets are being targeted by seemingly attractive offers from non-reputable suppliers of dispense gas. Some of the consequences of this may be:
- One cylinder of bad dispense gas will ruin up to 10 kegs of beer.
- Customers will be lost through poor beer quality.
- The supplier will refuse compensation claims.
- There will be risk of prosecution for breach of Food Regulations and the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Such cylinders have violently ruptured in cellars, causing immense damage and injury. Short of
rupture even a slow leakage of a non-breathable gas within the confined space of a cellar could lead to a very hazardous atmosphere. Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen have no odour and people have died in such atmospheres.
All drinks dispense cylinders supplied by Towler & Staines are from Air Liquide and are of food quality and comply with all legal and Health and Safety requirements. You can be sure that you are safe and problem free with their drinks dispense gases.
A future blog will give further details on this subject including product labelling, food traceability, labels, cylinder test date rings, and a dispense gas checklist.
