If you want my personal opinion, I don't believe even qualifications are a guarantee of competence. Just because someone has a certificate doesn't mean they're competent - many dangerous installations are done by professionals.
'Fraid not ..... the word 'competent', certainly when it comes to gas, describes a person that has a proven skillset through a test/examination and passed. They have demonstrated, at that time, that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform the work safely. That competency is then confirmed by an awarded certification and is the only evidence that is recognised in law. It's a legal standing. The same definition, I also believe, is applied to electrical work, unvented HW and I do believe it should also be applied to plumbing too. They are all controlled under legal regulations.
I think the critical point to note here is that all these disciplines have the ability to kill people, therefore require a certain level of certification to prove they are competent and safe, in the eyes of the law, to work on them and leave them safe, even if they then prove that they aren't but that's another legal position.
Wet work, e.g. general plumbing, in most cases won't kill people therefore anyone can call themselves a plumber. I don't think they should be allowed to legally call themselves plumbers unless certified but I tend to make a lot of money fixing the problems created by the ones who do.
The elephant in the room with all this is that in Joe's original scenario - the neighbour presses 999 and reports the installation. The police will do nothing (if I've understood correctly)
The neighbour may then also dial the HSE - who presumably will also hang up on him.
Maybe he rings gassafe - who will put him on hold for 40 minutes before telling him to fook off. So there is no enforcement of this law UNTIL something bad happens.
Now, in practice (in Joe's situation), he has done a perfectly good installation - so there is no legal comeback. So I think what @Madrab was saying is that the only time he will be held to account is if something bad happens.
The neighbour may then also dial the HSE - who presumably will also hang up on him.
Maybe he rings gassafe - who will put him on hold for 40 minutes before telling him to fook off. So there is no enforcement of this law UNTIL something bad happens.
I don't, I'm asking the question - I thought that's what the consensus was - I may be misinterpreting what others said. I got the impression that there is no consequence - until something bad happens
well I have done some research on the subject matter (aka a google search) - Googled 'diy gas prosecution' only found news articles relating to landlords being prosecuted for diy gas work
As you say, various news articles describe prosecutions of professionals who were qualified, but not competent. Which rather muddies the "competence must be proved by having qualifications" argument...
If a gas appliance has been installed / repaired perfectly, then it's impossible for anyone to argue that it's been done incompetently.
not irrelevant - the latest supposition is that Joe .has probably acted illegally - the follow-up question which I am asking is what happens to Joe? - his neighbour has reported him. Will Joe be held to account? Has any diy-er ever been prosecuted for installing in his own home? Is there any real consequence? article please
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