HSE consults on new gas safety body

E060:06 11 May 2006

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has started a consultation exercise following an application from The National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers (NAPIT) to set up a new gas safety registration body.

HSE is actively consulting key stakeholders. Those interested in commenting should visit the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/issues.htm where a consultation document can be found, including NAPIT's application.

The application will be assessed against well-established criteria for evaluating a new registration body, developed by HSE for this purpose. To date CORGI have been the sole successful applicant for this role. This consultation looks at the pros and cons of two services existing for consumers and the domestic gas industry.

In assessing a new application HSE will be looking at matters such as whether the proposed approach by NAPIT would be able to meet the following aims:

• to register efficiently any business which comes within the scope of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (The Regulations), and to promote the need for registration;
• to ensure that businesses entering or remaining on the register are able to demonstrate their competence to undertake safe gas work;
• to positively promote the use of registered businesses by the public, and thoroughly investigate all complaints alleging unsafe workmanship;
• to establish, maintain or improve standards for gas work that contribute to gas safety; and for monitoring the continuing competence of registered businesses and individual operatives.

Every year about 20-30 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning associated with domestic gas appliances, mainly due to these appliances not having been properly installed or maintained. HSE enforces the legislation aimed at preventing such tragedies.

Notes to editors

1. NAPIT is seeking an HSE approval as a 'class of persons'. Regulation 3(3) of the Regulations requires employers of people engaged in work on a gas fitting or service pipework, and self-employed people doing such work, to be members of a 'class of persons' approved by HSE.

2. HSE received a formal application for approval from NAPIT on 6 March 2006. The regulations allow for applications from other bodies, though CORGI has been the only successful applicant thus far.

3. More information can be found on NAPIT by visiting their website at www.napit.org.uk.

4. On 15 February 2006 HSE announced that it had appointed consultants to undertake a review of the gas safety regime arising from the Regulations. This will build on outcomes of the Health and Safety Commission's Fundamental Review of Gas Safety in 2000. Consideration of NAPIT's application is a separate exercise from this review.

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