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 Access Training can help you join the Gas Safe register and become Gas Safe registered!
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If you require some gas work done in your property, it is always recommended to acquire a Gas Safe registered engineer for the job. This blog will tell you all about the Gas Safe register, and how to find a Gas Safe registered engineer to carry out work in your property.
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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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A gas engineer in St Columb will be sentenced after carrying out dozens of jobs in people’s homes without the relevant qualifications.
Darren Masters had apparently serviced and installed boilers, as well as fitting gas hobs and gas fires, leaving numerous homes in danger.
Rogue Trader Full of Hot Air
The 33-year-old pleaded guilty to 11 charges of breaching safety regulations, carrying out the work without being on the Gas Safety Register.
Despite not being a registered gas engineer, Mr Masters falsely claimed to be a fully-fledged member of the Gas Safety Register in order to secure work.
After pleading guilty at the Truro Magistrates’ Court on December 16th, the case was adjourned to the seriousness of the crime and sent to the Truro Crown Court for sentencing in the New Year.
Dangers of Poorly Fitted Gas Fixtures
Gas fittings and fixtures that have been improperly installed carry with them a wide variety of potentially life-threatening hazards.
A faulty installation can release poisonous carbon monoxide which can be fatal, as a result. Meanwhile, a gas leak can also lead to significant fire hazards and even cause an explosion.
The incident once again highlights how vital appropriate training really is when it comes to gas safety. By-passing such qualifications can have serious consequences on both the fitter and the customer, with potentially devastating results all-round.
If you are thinking of exploring a career as a gas engineer, Access Training UK can help you do it right. We have a variety of gas courses available to ensure you enter the trade fully capable of carrying out gas work safely, efficiently and correctly.
Check out our relevant courses below to find out what we can offer you in terms of gas training options:
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.
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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!
It's widely known that gas engineers in the UK are legally required to join the Gas Safe Register before working on gas appliances. But do you know what the punishment is for carrying out gas work when you're not Gas Safe registered?
A Mr Stevens of Milton Keynes recently found out. The director of Master Plumbing Contractors Limited recently appeared before Aylesbury Crown Court, where he was sentenced to 300 hours of community service and ordered to pay costs of £15,000.
This sentence was handed down because Mr Stevens was working illegally when he installed a gas boiler (later found to have defects) at a property in Milton Keynes. The court heard that Mr Stevens had...
- Professed to be Gas Safe registered
- Worn a T-shirt bearing the Gas Safe logo
- Displayed the Gas Safe logo on his company van
...but an investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found that, despite all appearances, Mr Stevens actually was not on the Gas Safe Register at the time the work was carried out.
Following the outcome of this hearing, HSE inspector Andrew McGill issued a statement warning "rogue gas fitters" that gas work is "difficult, specialised and potentially very dangerous", and that it should only be undertaken by "trained and competent engineers who are registered with Gas Safe".
How do you get on the Gas Safe Register?
In order to join the Gas Safe Register and avoid the penalties for illegal gas work, you will first need to pass your ACS assessment - and you won't be able to do that until you've learned the essential skills, theory and safety procedures that every professional gas engineer must know.
If you're thinking of joining the trade and making a living from gas work, we offer a selection of comprehensive gas courses here at Access Training Academies. You'll learn in a fully-equipped training centre under the supervision of an experienced gas engineer, and we'll help you to progress smoothly and quickly from learning the basics to preparing for your ACS assessment. We can also help with the reassessments that you'll have to complete every few years in order to stay on the Gas Safe Register.
Our Gas Courses > Speak to a Course Advisor >
READ MORE: How to Become Gas Safe Registered
If you're a budding gas engineer, you'll need ensure that you undergo an ACS assessment to obtain the qualifications you require to join the Gas Safe Register; an obligation for all UK installers. This ACS certification demonstrates a level of competence necessary to become Gas Safe registered. Qualified installers will also have to renew their qualifications periodically in order to remain on the register, and to ensure that they are following the latest regulations.
Here at Access Training we provide a number of courses that include an ACS certification, allowing Gas Engineers to practice their trade safely and responsibly. This accreditation can be completed as a stand-alone qualification or as part of our full gas training packages, simply select your required assessment format from the range of options below:
Separate ACS Certifications:
This assessment package is able to offer you a choice of the following:
- Initial CCN1 only
- Initial CCN1 + 1 appliance
- Initial CCN1 + 2-4 appliances
If you're an experienced installer looking to renew your qualifications, we will be able to offer you a range of reassessment packages from the following:
- CCN 1/CPA 1: Core gas safety - Up to 5 days
- CCN 1+4: Core sas safety + 4 appliances (inc CPA1) - Up to 5 days
- CENWAT 1: Central heating boilers - Maximum 1 day
- CKR 1: Domestic cookers - Maximum 1 day
- HTR 1: Gas fires and wall heaters - Maximum 1 day
- MET 1: Meters - Maximum 1 day
Full Gas Training Packages:
This bespoke course allows you to gain the skills and knowledge required to become a professional gas engineer, providing you with opportunities to train in areas including ventilation, appliances, safety legislation, and more! It also includes a guaranteed work placement opportunity, providing you with first-hand experience of the industry and a competitive advantage upon entering the industry.
This advanced course provides candidates with a thorough knowledge of gas work and theory, while also including electrical wiring and circuit training for the installation of power for gas boilers, along with other similar tasks. As part of this course, you will gain recognized qualifications in both gas and electrical work, allowing you to complete a wider range of operations on completion of the course.
This course is ideal for beginners who wish to qualify as a professional plumber and heating engineer in a single course, providing candidates with all the essential qualifications required to enter the trade. Offering a combination of plumbing, gas and electrical accreditations, this programme is ideal for those hoping to seek a wide variety of work.
If you have any further questions about completing the ACS certification with us, or if you would like to find out more about our trade professional courses, please feel free to get in touch.
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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.
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.