WWW.HPMMAG.COM Got a story? Ring us on 01732 748041 or e-mail twood@unity-media.com GASSAFECOLUMN A legal requirement, not a choice Mark Rolfe, customer services director for Gas Safe Register, reveals how the Register is supporting engineers... Being a Gas Safe registered engineer means that you are legally able to work on gas, having proven that you are both qualified and competent. Because being registered is a legal requirement, and not a choice, Gas Safe Register is committed to ensuring value for engineers, by doing our bit to help make your lives easier. We know generating more business is important for engineers. So, one of the most important things that we do at the Register is to regularly campaign to raise awareness of gas safety issues and help to increase demand for engineers’ services. There are two key messages that we look to communicate to the public throughout the year - firstly only ever use a registered gas engineer and secondly get your appliances checked regularly. Our campaigning is working - survey results show that around nine in ten people know to only use a registered engineer to carry out a safety check and more than two-thirds of respondents (65%) know to regularly service gas appliances. PUBLIC AWARENESS OF GAS SAFETY For engineers, greater public awareness of gas safety means more work. This can be demonstrated by the fact that during last year’s Gas Safety Week, when there is more noise being made about gas safety issues, one in five (23%) said that they saw an increase in business. A tool that we’re hoping more engineers will use in 2014, is the annual gas safety check reminder service. The free service, launched last year, allows people to sign up to receive a free email when their appliances are due for a safety check. Getting customers to sign up will not only help them to keep their gas appliances safe, but can lead to more work for you. In addition to helping to generate more business for engineers, the Register aims to help by keeping you up-to-date with new technical changes. We understand how busy engineers are and that it can be hard to keep on top of changes, that’s’ why all updates are available to registered engineers on the Gas Safe Register website, making it clear which standards are current and which have lapsed. You can now access this information on the go, through our app. Also, to help keep engineers updated, there is on demand learning. The on demand learning modules found online, focus on the new guidance around flues and voids and have been devised to help to refresh and reinforce knowledge. Results of a Gas Safe survey show that that two thirds of respondents know to regularly service gas appliances At Gas Safe Register, we appreciate that it’ll be when you’re out and about on a job that you’ll be trying to recall a half remembered technical update – that’s why we have the technical support helpline to assist you. Our technical support team comprises of experts with a minimum ten years experience and they have updates to hand, to be able to quickly answer any questions you have. INVESTIGATIONS TEAM Lastly, illegal fitters not only put lives and homes at risk, but also take work from legal, registered engineers. As such, Gas Safe Register works hard to clamp down on cowboys and our dedicated investigations team follow up on all cases of reported illegal gas work. The Register then works closely with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to ensure the HSE has the evidence it needs to take enforcement action. Prosecution is the most severe form of enforcement action – and last year illegal fitters faced prison time and hefty fines. Registered engineers can report dodgy work to Gas Safe Register anonymously – so next time you’re having to rectify work that you think has been carried out by a cowboy, let us know. While being registered is, of course, a legal requirement, here at Gas Safe Register we will continue to offer value for your registration fee by making it as easy as possible to keep on top of industry developments and technical updates while also working to find ways to generate more work for you. For more information about general Gas Safe Register issues, visit the gas safe register website at: www.gassaferegister.co.uk 14 FEBRUARY 2014 HEATING & PLUMBING MONTHLY
HPM February 2014
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