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Gas Safe registered is a mark of quality that signifies an engineer or plumber is qualified to work with gas. In this article, we look at what this means in a greater level of detail.
What Is A Gas Safe Registered Engineer?
For an engineer or plumber to be allowed to work with gas appliances and installations, they must be on the Gas Safety Register. The Gas Safe Register is an official register of all the engineers in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man, and Guernsey who are legally permitted to work with gas. This can include piped natural gas as well as liquefied petroleum gas.
The types of appliances a registered gas engineer can work on will vary depending on their qualifications. Engineers and plumbers used to be Corgi registered until the Gas Safety Register was introduced in 2009.
How Does An Engineer Get Gas Safe Registration?
For an engineer to apply to be Gas Safe registered, they must, first of all, prove, that they have the necessary qualifications and competencies. There are different ways to achieve this. An engineer might already have the requisite qualifications to apply or they might need to undertake training or retraining to meet the requirements. They will also need to demonstrate that they have the necessary experience to undertake assessments.
Once an engineer has successfully registered, they will then be given probationary registration status. This lasts for a period of three months and compels the engineer to meet certain requirements during that time, for example, keeping records of all gas work and notifying the Gas Safe Register of all completed work.
Why Is It Important To Be Gas Safe Registered?
The Gas Safety Register was brought in to provide the public with a level of protection from unqualified engineers carrying out unsafe gas work. As a consumer, if your engineer or plumber is Gas Safe registered then you know that they are competent to work safely with gas. You also know that they are legally permitted to do so. This is important as carbon monoxide poisoning, faulty central heating systems and boiler installations kill many people each year.
Having a gas safe registered engineer or plumber greatly diminishes the chances of incompetence. From an engineer’s perspective, being Gas Safe registered is also good for business. A multitude of potential customers each year look for an engineer through the Register. Gas Safe registered engineers also have access to extensive technical support as well as reduced-cost key industry standards.
How to Check on Gas Safe Registered Engineers
If, as a customer, you want to be sure that your engineer or plumber is Gas Safe registered, then there are a number of ways to do so. You can go to the Gas Safe Register website, choose the ‘Check an Engineer’ option in the search box and then input the engineer’s card number. This is the licence number that can be found on the engineer’s ID card. The website will then show you a photograph of the engineer and details of their qualifications. Alternatively, you can text ‘Gas’ to 85080 along with:
- a company’s business registration number to check whether they are Gas Safe registered
- an engineer’s seven-digit licence number to check if they are Gas Safe registered
You will then receive a text confirming whether or not they are on the register.
How Can I Find A Gas Safety Engineer?
If you are looking for a Gas Safe registered engineer or plumber you can find one through the Gas Safe Register website. Choose the ‘Find by Location’ option in the search box and then either type in your postcode or the name of your town. This will bring up a list of Gas Safe registered engineers in your area along with their contact details. You can also select whether you are looking for an engineer for domestic or commercial purposes.
Make Use of The Gas Safety Register
Ensuring gas work is carried out safely is absolutely crucial for all concerned. Therefore, making full use of the Gas Safe Register – whether you’re an engineer completing the process to register or a customer checking that your engineer has gas safe registration or is corgi registration – is not only prudent but potentially life-saving too.