Are you qualified to carry out the gas work you are undertaking?

As a gas engineer, it’s your legal duty to ensure you are qualified and suitably experienced for the work you undertake whether in a commercial or domestic setting. The consequences of non-compliance are not only related to prosecution, you could also risk lives.

New research by Gas Safe Register reveals lives are continuing to be put at risk across the UK by unregistered gas engineers who haven’t received the training necessary for completing the job.

In the past 12 months alone, 690 gas appliances worked on by unregistered gas engineers were tested by Gas Safe Register with 93% found to be potentially unsafe. Of these, 19% (132 appliances) were deemed immediately dangerous, posing a risk of leaking carbon monoxide (CO) – a deadly gas which is almost impossible to detect.

With 12% of UK homeowners admitting they would willingly use an unregistered gas engineer or friend to save money, Gas Safe Register is warning homeowners to think again as such a mistake could prove fatal.

Paul Johnston , chief executive of Gas Safe Register, said: “ It is vital that only a Gas Safe registered engineer fixes, fits and services your gas appliances. Homeowners should arrange a gas safety check and service each year by a registered engineer. For those people renting homes, they should ensure they have seen a current Gas Safety Record from their landlord, which is a legal requirement.”

Department of Health research showed that around 4,000 people will present themselves at hospital with CO symptoms in a twelve month period. In the last year there have been more than 50 deaths as a result of CO poisoning, with 16 of those attributable to faulty gas appliances.

The Gas Safe Register was launched in April 2009 and replaced CORGI as the official gas registration body in the UK. All gas engineers must be on the Gas Safe Register and only perform the work they are qualified to carry out. The Register enables members of the public to check what type of work a gas engineer qualified to perform so if you are working illegally, you will be prosecuted.

As one of Basildon’s leading gas training specialists, we are concerned that there are still too many cowboys operating in an industry which prides itself on optimum safety standards and highly-skilled engineers. Working on gas appliances whether domestic or commercial involves a significant amount of experience and specialist knowledge and is not simply something that can be completed safely by an odd-job man. In our experience, work carried out by unqualified engineer is not only potentially dangerous, but also costs a significant amount to rectify which obviously defeats the purpose of getting it done on the cheap.

If you are already working within the gas industry, ensure the work you accept mirrors the extent of your experience and qualifications. If on the other hand you’re tempted by a career in the gas industry, seek advice on how to gain the correct training you need.

Contact us here at Gas Training on 01268 727797