Why public buildings need automatic gas isolation

Buildings where occupants cannot quickly self-evacuate present the most serious seismic gas risk. A hospital mid-surgery, a school during a full day, a rest home at night — in each case, the window between a gas pipe failing and a dangerous accumulation is short, and the ability to respond manually is limited.

Gas-related fires following earthquakes are well documented in New Zealand. The pattern is consistent: structural damage is survivable, but a gas fire in an occupied building turns a manageable emergency into a critical one. In public buildings, that risk is amplified by the number of people present and the difficulty of moving them quickly.

Automatic earthquake gas isolation closes that gap. The Solid State Seismic Shutoff — MK6 detects seismic acceleration and closes gas supply valves within 10 milliseconds — before the destructive shaking arrives, and before anyone needs to act.

Life-safety compliance for councils and public facilities

Local government bodies and public sector building operators work within a framework of building, health and safety, and gas safety obligations that are more demanding than those applying to private commercial buildings:

• NZS 4219:2009 — Seismic Performance of Engineering Systems in Buildings — applies to mechanical and gas services in buildings; higher-importance buildings face more demanding performance requirements
• NZS 1170.5 — Earthquake Actions — classifies buildings by importance level; hospitals, schools, and emergency facilities sit in the highest categories
• Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 — places a duty of care on PCBUs to manage foreseeable risk; post-earthquake gas fire risk in an occupied building is a foreseeable risk
• Gas (Safety and Measurement) Regulations 2010 (updated 13 November 2025) — all gas installations must be maintained safely under WorkSafe NZ oversight
• Earthquake-prone building obligations — if a building is earthquake-prone, remediation obligations may extend to building services including gas systems

For hospitals and emergency facilities specifically, continuity of operation following an earthquake is a formal requirement. Automatic gas isolation — with auditable records of every activation — supports both the safety and the post-event documentation obligations these facilities carry.

Automatic, auditable, no manual intervention required

The Solid State Seismic Shutoff — MK6 continuously monitors ground acceleration and fires its output relay within 10 milliseconds of threshold exceedance — closing gas supply valves automatically, without requiring staff to reach a plant room or make a decision under pressure.

• Electronic sensing — no moving parts, no mechanical reset after an event
• P-wave detection — triggers on the faster pressure waves that precede destructive shaking
• Field-adjustable sensitivity — 0.012g to 0.200g across five settings, configured on-site
• 6-digit event counter — complete auditable log of every activation for compliance records and post-event reporting
• AC or DC power — AC version with NiCad 24-hour battery backup standard; DC version for remote or battery-backed plant
• Scalable — a single unit protects a building's main gas entry point; additional units can be deployed to protect specific plant rooms or high-risk equipment
• NZ-designed and manufactured — supported locally, no offshore supply chain dependency

Full technical specifications and wiring details →

A proven record in public sector installations

The Solid State Seismic Shutoff has been installed in commercial buildings, hospitals, schools, and public infrastructure across New Zealand and Australia since 1971. Customers include local councils, energy utilities, and public facility operators.

Every unit ships with a 6-digit event counter providing a complete activation log — supporting post-earthquake reporting, insurance documentation, and compliance audit requirements.

Supporting your procurement process

We understand that public sector procurement involves specification, approval, and formal supply processes. We're happy to:

• Provide written technical specifications suitable for inclusion in procurement documents
• Discuss compliance requirements with your engineering or facilities team
• Supply to your preferred electrical contractor or directly to your organisation

Contact us to discuss your requirements →

View full MK6 specifications →

Compliance and standards reference →