Health & Safety Update (February 2009)
New Gas Safe Register in Operation from 1 April 2009
Last year, HSE announced changes to the gas installer
registration scheme. The scheme currently operated by CORGI will be
replaced on 1 April 2009 by the new Gas Safe Register operated by
Capita. The Gas Safe Register will be the only
approved gas installer registration scheme from 1 April under the
Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Any gas
installer undertaking domestic gas work in Great Britain from 1
April will need to be registered with this scheme in order to
lawfully carry out any work on gas fittings, which includes gas
appliances.
Gas Safe Register will maintain an up-to-date register of gas
installers who are qualified to install or repair gas fittings and
appliances. It will have systems in place to check the competence
of gas installers, inspect their work and to deal with complaints
about unsafe gas work. The operation of the Gas Safe Register will
be overseen by HSE as the regulator with responsibility for gas
safety. So, from 1 April, users of gas should ask for a Gas
Safe Registered Engineer and not any other. The CORGI register will
no longer be valid.
The Gas Safe Register opened on Monday 19th January for
currently registered gas installers to register in advance with new
scheme by telephone or through the website: http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/.