More unqualified, unregistered gas engineers have been convicted in the courts. So why is being qualified and Gas Safe registered so important?
Did you know that you must be registered with the Gas Safe register in order to carry out work on gas appliances and equipment? Unfortunately there has been a spate of unqualified, unregistered gas engineers convicted and fined for working on gas illegally.
As a customer, the last thing you want is for someone without the relevant experience to go anywhere near your gas appliances. As an example, let’s discuss a recent case, where a self-employed contractor was given a suspended sentence and community service after carrying out gas work without being Gas Safe registered.
Robert Allen of Winsford, Cheshire, replaced a boiler in 2019; following the installation the property’s residents experienced a variety of problems, such as leaks and loss of pressure. A Gas Safe registered engineers inspected the work and discovered multiple issues with the installation, which they believed posed immediate danger to the people living in the house. These included five serious defects:
- Unsealed flue
- Incorrectly positioned relief valve
- Undersized gas pipework
- Corrosion to gas pipework
- Un-commissioned appliance
These could have led to a range of potentially fatal issues, including carbon monoxide leakage.
This was reported to the HSE and the subsequent investigation uncovered the fact that Mr Allen had never been a Gas Safe registered engineer. He had falsified a registration number and also used the registration number of a totally unrelated company.
Mr Allen was given a 40 week suspended sentence, 200 hours of community service and had to pay costs of £5,263.
As HSE Inspector, Ian Betley commented after sentencing,
“This case highlights the dangers of carrying out unregistered gas work. All gas work must be done by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met in order to prevent injury and loss of life. Installers will be prosecuted if they carry out gas work without the proper qualifications. Householders should check that anyone they allow to work on the gas supply is gas safe registered.”
Why is it so important to avoid unqualified, unregistered gas engineers?
Work on gas? Don’t become one of the unqualified, unregistered gas engineers the give the industry a bad name
The Gas Safe register was brought in to provide the public with a level of protection from unqualified, unregistered gas engineers carrying out unsafe, potentially fatal gas work.
From an engineer’s perspective, being
Gas Safe registered is good for business. Potential customers can find you by searching for local engineers on the register.
However, it is important that you are aware of the criteria you’ll need to comply with in order to become Gas Safe. Firstly it is crucial that the training programme you choose is industry recognised and meets Gas Safe requirements. Once you have obtained the relevant qualifications and evidence of competence, you can apply for probationary registration status.
This will last for three months; in the meantime you will need to keep records and evidence of all completed work. Once you have been inspected and deemed competent, you will then move out of probationary status.
Don’t forget to keep your Gas Safe registration in date; it lasts 12 months from the date you registered.
Avoid being one of the unqualified, unregistered gas engineers – contact GTA
Based in Basildon, Gas Training & Assessment Ltd (GTA) provides a comprehensive range of fully accredited,
Gas Safe approved gas training. We have been told that our training is the best in the area, with small, relaxed classes, professional trainers with decades of experience in the industry and a rating of
4.8/5 when it comes to customer satisfaction. For further information, please call us on 01268 727797.
We hope you found our article, ‘Unqualified, unregistered gas engineers convicted and fined’ of interest. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any further information.
