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In the UK, it is illegal to work on gas appliances unless you are Gas Safe registered. This is to ensure the safety of the public. In this blog we explain how to join the Gas Safe register and how to become Gas Safe registered.

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In the UK, it is illegal to work on gas appliances unless you are Gas Safe registered. This is to ensure the safety of the public. In this blog we explain how to join the Gas Safe register and how to become Gas Safe registered.

More...

Gas engineer in training

Gas-fuelled appliances can be very dangerous if they're not installed correctly. Because of this, gas appliances should ONLY be installed and serviced by competent, qualified gas engineers.

Here in the UK, gas fitters are legally required to join the Gas Safe Register before carrying out any gas work. The Gas Safe Register website makes it easy to...

  • Check whether your gas engineer is registered
  • Report illegal gas work

Gas Safe Register replaced CORGI in 2009, and since then, it has been the sole official gas registration body for the United Kingdom (as well as the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey).

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An unregistered gas engineer has found himself in serious trouble after fitting a gas boiler without the relevant safety authorisation to do so. 

gas news, gas training courses

 

Boiling Point

Self-employed electrician, Robert Parker, from Burnley had carried out gas work throughout the spring and summer of 2017; however, it was his work on a boiler in October that brought his alarming practice to the attention of authorities.

Following a gas boiler installation at a home in Rossendale, the occupiers noticed installation defects which became a cause for concern. Gas Safe inspectors investigated the issue and not only found the work to be below current standards but also deemed the boiler to be “immediately dangerous”.

 

Gas Safe Register

The Gas Safe Register is the official list of gas engineers who are qualified to legally work on gas appliances. Anyone employed to work on gas appliances in domestic premises is required by law to be on the Gas Safe Register.

Unfortunately for Mr Parker, his name was not on the list of officially authorised engineers cleared to work with gas. As a result of such a dangerous oversight, the Burnley man paid a hefty price for his gross negligence.

 

Breaching Regulations

The case ultimately made its way to Manchester magistrates court, where the court heard the details of the incident. Mr Parker went on to plead guilty to breaching Regulation 3(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

As a result of the hearing, the electrician was given a 26-week suspended prison sentence, 150 hours community service and levied with a charge of just under £2300.

 

Gas Training Courses at Access Training UK

The case of Mr Parker not only highlights the importance of being fully competent on the job but also reinforces the importance of safety when dealing with gas. Ignorance in this field could lead to devastating consequences that could very well prove fatal.

At Access Training UK, we offer a number of gas courses that are specifically designed to provide you with the educationary tools and necessary know-how needed to complete gas work effectively, efficiently and, most importantly, safely.

Check out our relevant courses below to find out what we can offer you in terms of gas training options:

Essential Gas Course

Ideal for beginners, the Essential Gas Course is a great introduction to the fundamentals of safe, efficient gas work.

Professional Gas Course

With no prior experience required, this course is perfect for those looking to make a career as a gas engineer.

Premier Gas Course 

Combining the basics of electrical work with comprehensive gas training, this bespoke programme covers everything you need to know about gas/electrical work.

ACS Initial Assessment

Completing the ACS assessment will provide you with a CCN1 qualification and allow you to join the Gas Safe Register.

ACS Reassessment

ACS certificates require periodical renewal to retain Gas Safe status. Get your reassessment here at Access Training UK.

LPG – Liquid Petroleum Gas Training

Our intensive course is designed to help experienced natural gas workers make the transition to working with LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas).

 

For more information on the gas training courses available at Access Training UK, why not drop us a line today? Call now on 0800 345 7492 or get in touch online by clicking the button below.

Get in Touch

If you didn't already know the consequences of working as a gas engineer without being on the Gas Safe register, here is another stark reminder. 

Liverpool Magistrates recently fined a man, Kevin Shephard, for working on gas fittings and issuing Landlord Gas Safety Certificates, despite no longer being Gas Safe registered. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out an investigation which showed that Mr Shephard was registered with the Gas Safe register over several periods between November 2013 and June 2016, but his registration lapsed in June 2016, along with his gas competence qualifications. 

Mr Shephard continued to carry out gas work and maintenance without renewing his registration or qualifications, so was, therefore, carrying out gas work illegally. Mr Shephard pled guilty to breaching several gas safety regulations, was fined £2000 and had to pay legal costs of £2000 also. 

HSE inspector Jane Carrol said: 

"Kevin Shephard carried out gas work which he knew he wasn't properly registered to do. All gas work must be done by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met and to prevent injury and loss of life."

How Do I Get Gas Safe Registered?

Joining the Gas Safe Register will ensure you avoid illegal gas work penalties. To get on the gas safe register, you need to pass an ACS assessment - an assessment that can only be completed if you learn the necessary skills, theory, and procedures. 

If you'd like to become a fully-qualified gas plumber, Access Training Academies can help! We offer a selection of different gas courses that will teach you all the necessary skills to pass your ACS assessments, click below to view and enquire today! 

Browse Our Gas Courses >

 

To work continuously as a gas engineer you will need to complete reassessments to stay on the Gas Safe Register. We can help you with your reassessments too!

Gas safe training

If you're looking into becoming a professional gas engineer, you may well have heard the term Gas Safe training. In order to work as a gas engineer in the UK, you must be on the Gas Safe Register, and this requires specific training / qualifications. You can think of the Gas Safe Register as an official list of every certified gas engineer who is legally allowed to work on gas appliances in the UK.

Previously known as CORGI, the Gas Safe Register is a nationwide scheme that was created to protect the public from unsafe gas work. To get onto the Gas Safe Register, you must provide evidence of your competence and training by presenting the relevant qualifications, which can be one of the following:

  • A Nationally Accredited Certification Scheme (ACS) qualification
  • A Scottish/National Vocational Qualification (S/NVQ), such as the 6012 City & Guilds range
  • Qualification Credit Framework (QCF) certification

The training required to become Gas Safe registered is where Access Training Gas Courses can be of use. Whether you are starting as an absolute beginner or would just like to refresh your skills, our courses are designed to get you ready to work as a professional gas engineer. Our Professional Gas Course, for instance, allows you to gain your ACS certificate and join the Gas Safe Register (no experience required to enrol on this course).

Completing a Gas Safe training programme and joining the Register is the only way to be able to work legally in the UK as a gas engineer. Without this, you will not only be working illegally, you may also be putting yourself and the public in danger. Our courses allow you to train safely in state-of-the-art facilities.

Click here to learn more about our gas courses, or contact us today to find out how to enrol.


To become a professional gas engineer you will need to receive the right training to meet the gas safe registration criteria.  You will not be able to trade as a professional gas engineer until you have gained all the appropriate ACS qualifications. Gaining these qualifications will ensure that you can meet the industry requirements and install and maintain gas appliances to an industry recognised, and safe manner.

If you are planning on wither changing your career or start your career as a professional gas engineer Access Training offer gas assessment packages that are specifically designed to get you through your ACS assessments, so you can get gas safety registered quickly.

To enrol on our ACS Initial Assessment you will first need to have the CPA1 qualification. Contact us for more information about the CPA1 qualification.

Once you are on the gas safety register you will need to renew your ACS qualifications every 5 years to stay on the register. With this in mind, we offer a range of re-assessment courses covering:

  • Core gas safety
  • Core gas safety + 4 appliances
  • Central heating boilers
  • Domestic cookers
  • Gas fires and wall heaters
  • Gas meters
When you get gas safety registered, or if you have been on the gas safe register for a number of years, it doesn't have to be then end of your training – we also offer a variety of courses for experienced tradespeople aimed at helping you to expand your skill set and develop you and your scope as a tradesperson.

Click here for more information on our range of Gas Engineering courses or to enquire about ACS Assessments, give us a call on 0800 345 7492

Charlie Mullins, head of arguably Britain's biggest plumbing firm - Plimco Plumbers, has taken a stand to highlight a serious loophole in current gas regulations. 

While it is common knowledge that gas engineers need to become Gas Safe registered once qualified in order to legally install and maintain gas appliances, the same does not apply when it comes to the purchasing of boilers and other gas-related equipment. Although some builders' merchants will check their customers registration before letting them buy such things, an increase in internet-based suppliers is making this something harder and harder to police.

Because of this, rogue engineers can find it far easier to trick customers into believing that they are Gas Safe registered. Not only them, but also unqualified indviduals such as homeowners who may not know the rules and believe they could have a go at it themselves. Should a mistake be made by either of these parties, the results can be fatal and potentially cost people their lives.

Therefor Mr Mullins believes that the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) needs to clamp down on this huge flaw in the system, extending its regulation of the gas market to the purchase of equipment - something that can only be done by altering the law.

The Plimco Plumbers CEO considers it "ludicrous" that buying boilers/gas equipment is as simple as walking into a shop or clicking your mouse. He added that gas "in the wrong hands is a lethal weapon and used incorrectly people will end up dead".

He went on to talk about how once a "cowboy gas fitter or over enthusiastic amatuer" is in possession of these things, the law is powerless to save lives despite it being illegal for them to install it. Certainly prosecutions can follow should that person be found out, but in most of these cases prosecutions only happen after a life-taking tragedy has already happened.

Charlie suggests:"The truth of the matter is there’s only one opportunity to protect people from this dangerous legal anomaly and that’s to make it illegal to buy gas equipment without a Gas Safe ticket. We have built ourselves a pretty decent safety system to protect people from monoxide poisoning, so why do we insist on retaining a great big hole in the net? The law needs to be changed because this is something that will save lives."

What are your thoughts on the matter? Certainly the thought of non-qualified people being able to go into their local branch of B&Q and purchase gas equipment should be alarming to all the Gas Safe registered installers out there, after all the training you have gone through to get where you are today. To become a fully qualified gas engineer, candidates need to go through a rigorous training course - at the end of which they will be able to build up their gas portfolio and pass the required ACS assessments. Only then will you be able to join the Gas Safe register and be legally permitted to work on gas installations and appliances.

To find out more about what it takes to become a Gas Safe engineer and Access Training's range of intensive gas courses, give us a call on 0800 345 7492.

Those that have completed their gas training and gone on to become a fully qualified gas engineer can now save even more money thanks to CORGI's VAT Saver.

According to their website CORGI VAT Saver works on an extremely complicated algorithm that allows you to calculate your VAT taking into account the 'energy saving' element of the job being subject to the lower VAT rate. All you need to do is enter the details and they handle the rest. 

Now, to bring the scheme in line with new legislation they are offering even more savings - an additional £142 for every boiler you install. What you choose to do with this is entirely up to you - you can keep it yourself or alternatively pass it on to your customer to ensure even more business in the future.

Corgi VAT Saver registration is absolutely free and can be used by any Gas Safe registered engineer (you will need your ID number when signing up). All you need to use it then is access to the internet, so it'll be available to you at home, in the office, out on a job and anywhere else you may need it. You can register online or call them at 0800 612 8490.

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Before you can take advantage of such a great offer, you'll need to be a member of the Gas Safe Register - something you won't achieve without the proper training. Here at Access Training you can gain the skills to become a fully-qualified gas engineer in our state-of-the-art centre. Work alongside like-minded students and experienced teaching staff to kickstart the next stage in your working life. To find out more call our team on 0800 345 7492.

An important part of Gas Safety Week is making sure people know exactly what to do in the event of a gas leak.

Every year thousands of people across the UK are diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning. This highly poisonous gas can't be seen, smelled or tasted, but can kill quickly and without warning. Early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness and then eventually collapsing and even loss of consciousness. As an invisible gas, carbon monoxide can be extremely difficult to detect. However there are ways that you can determine whether an appliance (such as fires, heating boilers, water heaters or cookers) are dangerous. These include:

  • The pilot light continually blowing out
  • An orange or yellow flame rather than a blue one
  • A discoloured scorched area on an appliance
  • A musty smell or signs of soot
  • More condensation than normal on windows

If you see any of these things, whatever you do DO NOT try to attempt any sort of repair work yourself - you could only end up making it worse. Instead what you should do is call the free emergency gas number on 0800 111 999 and follow their instructions. As soon as you suspect a leak, don't start any flames or operate electrical switches. Make sure to put out any fires, open doors and windows to air out the rooms, keep people away from the area and turn the gas off at the control valve. 

Once you've made the call, a trained operator will log a number of details onto a computer. The kind of questions they'll ask you are:

 

  • Your name and phone number
  • The address and postcode of the suspected gas emergency 
  • How many people are at the property 
  • Where the smell is most noticeable 
  • How long the smell has been noticeable
  • Are any neighbours affected 
  • Any special circumstances or access information
Following that you'll be asked a number of questions to determine the severity of the situation. This information will be recorded and sent off to an engineer to take action if its required.

 

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