Joining the Gas Safe Register is a rite of passage for all trainee gas engineers, but more importantly, it's a legal requirement for anyone who wishes to carry out gas installations in the UK. Unregistered individuals who work on gas appliances are breaking the law and may be prosecuted.
One cautionary example is that of Michael Birch from St Austell in Cornwall. Earlier this week, Mr Birch was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,000 after pleading guilty to breaching the Gas Safety Regulations and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
What did he do wrong?
Back in 2013, Michael Birch (who is not a Gas Safe-registered engineer) installed a gas boiler in a property in St Austell. The boiler - specifically the flue - was not installed correctly, which the homeowner noticed and reported to the Gas Safe Register. It eventually transpired that, after Mr Birch had finished installing the boiler, he had asked a registered gas engineer named Peter Hopper to 'sign off' on his work, which Mr Hopper did in spite of the unsafe state of the installation.
(Incidentally, Peter Hopper was also sentenced this week - he was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £5,000 for illegally commissioning the work.)
All of this serves as a stern reminder of how important it is to join the Gas Safe Register before commencing any gas installations of your own. Unregistered personnel risk prosecution and hefty fines, but worse still, they risk compromising people's safety. Had the homeowner in this cautionary tale failed to notice the problems with their boiler, the story's ending could have been far grimmer than a mere fine.
How do I join the Gas Safe Register?
In order to join the Gas Safe Register and legally carry out gas installation work, you will first need to complete an
ACS assessment. This is included as a component of Access Training's
Premier Gas Course, which is open to candidates of all levels, including absolute beginners. More experienced individuals can undergo the assessment on its own.
Click here to browse Access Training's full range of gas training courses, or contact us to discuss the options we offer.
Does your work day leave you feeling bored and unfulfilled? Are you considering taking the plunge and embarking on a new career? If so, Access Training can help!
We provide a number of City & Guilds-accredited
electrical training courses, covering every aspect of electrical work. For people who have little to no prior knowledge of the electrical trade, we provide three course options:
Each of these courses will get you trained to a progressively more advanced level; for example, the 'Essentials' course is ideal for those who wish to learn the basics, while the 'Professional' and 'Premier' courses will furnish you with a number of additional industry-recognised qualifications to help you go further.
Electrical Training for Experienced Candidates
If you already have some experience of electrical work and wish to gain further qualifications, we offer a variety of courses for you, too. Options include:
- Portable Appliance Testing (City & Guilds 2377) - A requirement for anyone who is inspecting and testing electrical systems.
- Inspection and Testing (City & Guilds 2394) - This course covers design, installation and testing, meeting legal requirements, and issuing safety certificates.
- Electrical Design Course (City & Guilds 2396) - This is the highest qualification in the electrical trade, covering designing electrical installations, calculating required materials, and inspecting, testing and verifying all installations.
- Part P & 17th Edition for Experienced Installers – This qualification will allow you to re-wire entire houses, install electrical systems in dwellings, wire up home extensions, and carry out installations in commercial spaces.
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