Why Do Gas Engineers Have to Be Gas Safe Registered?

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).

Why do gas fitters have to be registered?

Gas work is a specialist trade that should always be left to qualified professionals. Your DIY skills may suffice when it comes to putting up shelves or fixing a leaky tap, but fitting and repairing gas appliances is an entirely different kettle of fish - there are many things that can go wrong, and improper installation can have dire consequences.

The health and safety risks associated with shoddy gas work include...

• Explosions
• Fires
• Gas leaks
• Carbon monoxide poisoning

And of course, the gas-fuelled appliance in question may not function properly. But that's the least of your problems if your boiler or oven was installed by someone who didn't know what they were doing!

In order to prevent illegal gas work in the UK, the law requires all gas businesses and engineers to be Gas Safe registered. This system makes it easy for the general public to tell qualified professionals from cowboys whose work may result in a potentially dangerous situation.

What happens to unregistered gas fitters?

Anyone who carries out gas work in the UK without first joining the Gas Safe Register is breaking the law and may be punished with...

• A fine
• Community service
• Jail time

Note that the Gas Safe Register does not pursue prosecutions itself. Instead, illegal gas work is reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), who then decide on the best course of action. Sometimes this just means a warning letter, but a lot of cases do end up in court and many unregistered gas fitters have found themselves facing huge fines and even imprisonment.

How can I join the Gas Safe Register?

If you are planning to work as a gas engineer, it is imperative that you first join the Gas Safe Register. In order to do this, you will need to complete your gas training and prove your competence by earning a qualification from a recognised awarding body.

Once you're qualified, your awarding body will send evidence of your competence to the Gas Safe Register, allowing you to apply for probationary registration status. The initial probation period lasts for 3 months; in order to become a fully-fledged Gas Safe engineer, you will need to provide examples of your gas work as part of GSR's own inspection process.

Finally, you will need to renew your registration once a year in order to continue carrying out gas work.

If you want to train as a gas fitter and join the Gas Safe Register, Access Training can help. We work with awarding organisations like City & Guilds to help you earn industry-recognised gas qualifications.

We recommend our Professional Gas Course, which is specifically designed to help you work towards Gas Safe registration. No experience is necessary to enrol on this course - contact us now to find out more!

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Learn your trade. Get qualified. Make it happen.