If you use gas to cook or heat your home, you’ll know how efficient it can be. But gas can be dangerous. Get it wrong, and the consequences can be catastrophic. As a result, all gas businesses must register on the Gas Safe Register by law.
Having work done on your heating system or installing a new gas meter box? Then you need a registered engineer. In this article, we’ll look more closely at how the Gas Safe Register works and how you can find out if an engineer is registered.
Why is gas safety so important?
Let’s say you installed a gas meter box, but the work is faulty. You could be at serious risk of harm from a gas leak. Carbon monoxide poisoning can lead to dizziness, loss of consciousness and even death. That’s why using a Gas Safe registered engineer is vitally important.
What is the Gas Safe Register, and what does it do?
Before 2009, all gas engineers were required to be CORGI registered. This was replaced by the Gas Safe Register as the official UK registration body. Engineers and businesses must complete training before being entered on the register.
Put simply, it exists to keep businesses, tenants and homeowners safe from the dangers of faulty work. The Gas Safe Register has the power to report illegal work to the Health and Safety Executive. This can result in prosecution.
Checking your engineer is registered with Gas Safe
Checking whether an engineer is registered is straightforward. Simply use the Gas Safe website checker to search for a business or engineer.
Every registered business is given a unique number and its engineers will carry an ID card. This should carry the engineer’s photo, unique licence number, start and end dates, business details, the work they’re qualified to undertake and a hologram to ensure the card isn’t faked. You can also check the ID number through the Gas Safe website.
The best way to avoid gas leaks from equipment like your boiler or gas meter box is to have them installed by a registered Gas Safe business.