E029:07 27 July 2007

New gas installer registration scheme for Great Britain

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today announced a competition to run a new gas installer registration scheme aimed at beefing-up domestic gas safety standards. The new scheme is set to bring benefits to both gas consumers and gas installers across Great Britain.

Health and Safety Minister, Lord McKenzie of Luton welcomed the proposal, "This is a major opportunity to re-energize domestic gas safety which is aimed at decreasing gas related incidents in the coming years. I particularly welcome the new responsibility to co-ordinate industry actions on raising public awareness on gas safety. I call upon industry and all those interested in gas safety to work in partnership with HSE to make these changes work and deliver real benefits to consumers and gas installers."

This proposal takes forward recommendations arising from HSE’s review of the domestic gas safety regime and stakeholder views. Oversight of the new regime will remain with HSE.

The main elements of the new scheme will be:

• A single provider appointed to run the new scheme for 5 years.
• The new registration scheme provider will co-ordinate stronger industry action to raise public awareness of gas safety.
• The new provider will be given other functions such as tackling the problem of illegal, unregistered installers; and
• It will be asked to review the competence requirements for registration of gas installers with a view to simplifying the current requirements and reducing burdens on installers.

The competition involves a two-stage process in which interested parties are invited to submit a written pre-qualification statement to establish their competence to submit a full bid. An independent chairman has been appointed to lead the panel that will evaluate both stages of bids.

Gas installers will be encouraged to register through simplified registration and competence arrangements, keeping costs at affordable levels.

HSE statistics show an improvement on the number of recorded gas fatalities, 16 fatal gas related CO poisonings in 2005/06, compared to twice that number ten years ago. However recent research shows widespread public ignorance of the dangers of gas which reinforces the importance of gas safety as an essential consumer protection issue.

Notes to editors

1. HSE has responsibility for regulating consumer gas safety in GB and does this largely through the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR).
2. The overall objective of the gas installer registration scheme is to seek to ensure safe standards of gas work that contribute to consumer gas safety. At present, CORGI (Council of Registered Gas Installers) is approved by HSE to undertake this task and maintains an up-to-date register of gas installers who are qualified to install or repair gas fittings and appliances.
3. The current scheme, operated by CORGI (Council for Registered Gas Installers) has contributed to improvements in gas safety. The competition will be open to CORGI along with other prospective bidders to apply.
4. The competition deadline for the pre-qualification stage is 3 September 2007 after which selected bidders will be invited to submit full bids during October and November. The successful candidate will be announced in early 2008 with the new scheme in place before the end of July 2008. Details of the requirements and an electronic expression of interest can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/sellingtohse/contracts/gasinstaller/index.htm

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