Gas safe inspection event

[townfanjon]

Ravenheat , Morley West Yorkshire .
If you haven't had a inspection for around 4/5 years and been a good lad you will get invited to one of these , your next inspection should be around 4/5 years after .
Test at the end , which to be fair was basic stuff and everyone passed it wasn't to bad , muck it up and you will have to have a visit from an inspector.
I hate any kind of test / exam and always worry I will cock it up , but for any of you going on one of these events please do not worry.

 

[Riley]

Interesting and thanks for the heads up. There was talk of one down here in this area. Will keep my eyes peeled

 

[Riley]

Does that mean if I don’t hear I’ve not been a good lad

 

[townfanjon]

Does that mean if I don’t hear I’ve not been a good lad

Lol , only good boys go to these .

 

[EvilDrPorkChop]

So are you going to give us anymore details of what it consisted of?

We've just had an inspection last year so hoping we should be good for a while. Are they hand picking engineers or just a representative from each company?

They hadn't inspected us since it was Corgi before 2016

 

[townfanjon]

So are you going to give us anymore details of what it consisted of?

We've just had an inspection last year so hoping we should be good for a while. Are they hand picking engineers or just a representative from each company?

They hadn't inspected us since it was Corgi before 2016

If you have had an recent inspection you will be ok for a few years I would think .
As said consisted of a lot of listening with a test at the end , seriously nothing to worry about .

 

[Riley]

They’ll have changed it again by then

 

[firemant]

So are you going to give us anymore details of what it consisted of?

We've just had an inspection last year so hoping we should be good for a while. Are they hand picking engineers or just a representative from each company?

They hadn't inspected us since it was Corgi before 2016

It is the RGI that is inspected, not the company.

This installer event is such a nonsense. I have no issues with being inspected, but the idea of in site inspections was to make sure we were doing it correctly in the real world. My last inspection was at least 10 years ago - I have been “invited” to a hotel this month but cannot go. The tests are open book, so how does this differ from the 5 yearlies?

Personally, I believe that GS should go through recent notifications and pick visits themselves. If you cannot find 3 “safe” jobs to take GS to, then you have major issues

 

[townfanjon]

@firemant , simple maths pal , they did approx 150 guys in two days , to do that by one off inspections would take months.
Personally I would prefer GS to spend more time and resources on finding illegals and prosecuting them .

 

[firemant]

@firemant , simple maths pal , they did approx 150 guys in two days , to do that by one off inspections would take months.
Personally I would prefer GS to spend more time and resources on finding illegals and prosecuting them .

I agree about the economics, but it is pathetic box ticking.

 

[Darren Jackson]

My report from yesterday. It makes it sound like a site inspection.

 

[Darren Jackson]

I agree about the economics, but it is pathetic box ticking.

I totally disagree fireman, it is a FAR better use of resources allowing the inspectors more chance to keep an eye on the engineers that are not up to scratch and catching illegals. Rather than bothering the safe good engineers. Yet at the same time fulfilling their contract with the HSE to inspect every engineer.

 

[Harvest Fields]

It is the RGI that is inspected, not the company.

This installer event is such a nonsense. I have no issues with being inspected, but the idea of in site inspections was to make sure we were doing it correctly in the real world. My last inspection was at least 10 years ago - I have been “invited” to a hotel this month but cannot go. The tests are open book, so how does this differ from the 5 yearlies?

Personally, I believe that GS should go through recent notifications and pick visits themselves. If you cannot find 3 “safe” jobs to take GS to, then you have major issues

What if the RGI is the business?

 

[firemant]

What if the RGI is the business?

Ha, well then it is only one registration. But I was meaning where there is more than one RGI

 

[firemant]

I totally disagree fireman, it is a FAR better use of resources allowing the inspectors more chance to keep an eye on the engineers that are not up to scratch and catching illegals. Rather than bothering the safe good engineers. Yet at the same time fulfilling their contract with the HSE to inspect every engineer.

But how does this fulfil that, Darren? The original inspections physically checked work. It is not a perfect system, but helped to keep us on our toes. The hotel tests are open book, they are only a diluted form of ACS, and we all know that it is pis$ easy. The hotel tests have NO validity - they may as well say that as, we do the 5 yearlies, we are all competent. Which I am not meccrssarily saying is wrong.

Illegals apart, you say they should leave alone the good guys and hassle the bad ones. Without proper inspections, how do they identify which is which?

But, rightly or wrongly, we have boiler certified / competent RGI’s that do not know how to adjust a gas valve. Hotel checks won’t change that.

 

[Darren Jackson]

Illegals apart, you say they should leave alone the good guys and hassle the bad ones. Without proper inspections, how do they identify which is which?

That is where the good guy's come in. It also up to us to report sub standard work & illegals. GS will I have been reassured yesterday by them that they WILL investigate every report. And this is only a one off. The next time we are due for an inspection it will be an on job visit. As said before this is only for the good guy's with whom they feel confident enough with that we are operating competently, safe & within the law.

 

[Harvest Fields]

Ha, well then it is only one registration. But I was meaning where there is more than one RGI

Was just checking as your post didn’t state that.

 

[Harvest Fields]

That is where the good guy's come in. It also up to us to report sub standard work & illegals. GS will I have been reassured yesterday by them that they WILL investigate every report. And this is only a one off. The next time we are due for an inspection it will be an on job visit. As said before this is only for the good guy's with whom they feel confident enough with that we are operating competently, safe & within the law.

How do you know it is only for the good guys? How do you know that the good ones are not the ones not invited and in fact the one invited are the bad ones?

 

[Harvest Fields]

But how does this fulfil that, Darren? The original inspections physically checked work. It is not a perfect system, but helped to keep us on our toes. The hotel tests are open book, they are only a diluted form of ACS, and we all know that it is pis$ easy. The hotel tests have NO validity - they may as well say that as, we do the 5 yearlies, we are all competent. Which I am not meccrssarily saying is wrong.

Illegals apart, you say they should leave alone the good guys and hassle the bad ones. Without proper inspections, how do they identify which is which?

But, rightly or wrongly, we have boiler certified / competent RGI’s that do not know how to adjust a gas valve. Hotel checks won’t change that.

I think that it should be more like sparks and that the ACS is enough. It should be down to the training centres to fail and train people properly.

 

[Darren Jackson]

How do you know it is only for the good guys? How do you know that the good ones are not the ones not invited and in fact the one invited are the bad ones?

Ha ha that may be the case.... I can only go on what was said yesterday at my inspection morning.

 

[Harvest Fields]

Ha ha that may be the case.. I can only go on what was said yesterday at my inspection morning.

They are not going to tell you that you have been selected to be checked on purpose are they?

 

[townfanjon]

We all have our opinions on “ open book “ tests/exams , but in reality our work is open book , you can refer to the a book in the van or go on the net , no difference IMO .

 

[firemant]

But

That is where the good guy's come in. It also up to us to report sub standard work & illegals. GS will I have been reassured yesterday by them that they WILL investigate every report.

That is interesting, Darren. It has, to date, always been the case, AFAIA, that GS will only investigate anything if it comes from the customer.

 

[Harvest Fields]

But


That is interesting, Darren. It has, to date, always been the case, AFAIAA, that GS will only investigate anything if it comes from the customer.

I would be interested to see the written proof of this mate. Do you have a copy to hand?

 

[firemant]

I would be interested to see the written proof of this mate. Do you have a copy to hand?

Not really, but there have been complaints of that nature over the years on forums (I KNOW! ) and in the magazine. However, from the GS site:

Report illegal Gas Work - Gas Safe Register

What will we do with the information you provide?
If you have provided us with your details, we will contact you to acknowledge receipt of the information and discuss your concerns

• We will attempt to contact the duty holder (e.g. householder/landlord/tenant) for the affected property to offer our assistance
• Where permitted by the duty holder, we will attend the site within 10 working days to undertake a complaint investigation
• Having completed an investigation on site, a comprehensive report will be provided to the duty holder and the Health & Safety Executive. Where appropriate the report may also be disclosed to other agencies (e.g. local authority Environmental Health, Trading Standards)
• Please note: we’re only able to carry out an investigation when we have details of a property at which illegal gas work has been carried out.

Although it does not explicitly say that it must be reported by the consumer, it is clear (at least to me) that they will not investigate without the SUPPORT of the customer. If the customer does not allow access to the site, then they cannot prepare a case. TBF, I should have worded my comment differently, in that a RGI can report it, but they will not act without customer agreement - so I apologise for that

 

[townfanjon]

The guy who took us on Tuesday, said all he wanted was a phone call , text , slip of paper etc etc .
I got the impression he would act on it .

 

[Harvest Fields]

Not really, but there have been complaints of that nature over the years on forums (I KNOW! ) and in the magazine. However, from the GS site:

Report illegal Gas Work - Gas Safe Register

What will we do with the information you provide?
If you have provided us with your details, we will contact you to acknowledge receipt of the information and discuss your concerns

• We will attempt to contact the duty holder (e.g. householder/landlord/tenant) for the affected property to offer our assistance
• Where permitted by the duty holder, we will attend the site within 10 working days to undertake a complaint investigation
• Having completed an investigation on site, a comprehensive report will be provided to the duty holder and the Health & Safety Executive. Where appropriate the report may also be disclosed to other agencies (e.g. local authority Environmental Health, Trading Standards)
• Please note: we’re only able to carry out an investigation when we have details of a property at which illegal gas work has been carried out.

Although it does not explicitly say that it must be reported by the consumer, it is clear (at least to me) that they will not investigate without the SUPPORT of the customer. If the customer does not allow access to the site, then they cannot prepare a case. TBF, I should have worded my comment differently, in that a RGI can report it, but they will not act without customer agreement - so I apologise for that

We are all human. You are forgiven. (This time at least )

 

[firemant]

The guy who took us on Tuesday, said all he wanted was a phone call , text , slip of paper etc etc .
I got the impression he would act on it .

It may be that they are planning to be more proactive or just a bit more assertive. Will be interesting to see if the discussion is repeated when I go.