D
Doctor Drivel
Competence applies equally to DIY and pro work.
Read through. All clear and no responses countering
the law please. The law is the law.
On CORGI's web site in the section on achieving ACS
Accreditation.
Quote:
" Until 1998, gas installers could achieve
certificates of competence through a number of
different certification schemes - resulting in an
inconsistency of standards across the UK. Those
separate schemes have now been replaced by the
Nationally Accredited Certification Scheme for
Individual Gas Fitting Operatives (ACS).
This means that all operatives are assessed within
nationally agreed standards, to gain certificates
that need renewal every five years. Assessments are
available from some 150 centres around the UK. Each
of these has been approved by one of six
certification bodies accredited by the United Kingdom
Accreditation Service (UKAS).
All gas installation businesses and operatives must
be in a 'class of persons' approved by the Health and
Safety Executive. That currently means they must be
registered with CORGI."
This does not apply to DIY work. CORGI, as one would
expect, say "could be dangerous" and
"likely to be illegal". They are hardly
likely to say on a public web site that it's a great
idea and everyone should try. CORGI did not say
"DIY gas work is Illegal".
Here is the referring Statutory Instrument.
http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si1998/19982451.htm
The HSE is fully aware that DIY gas work happens.
They've just published a complete Fundamental Review
w of Gas Safety
http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/index.htm
in which there is a section discussing DIY
http://www.hse.gov.uk/fundgas.htm
People can read it for themselves, but:
DIY installation and maintenance
Question 30. Should DIY work be legally prohibited,
eg by restricting the sale of gas equipment to
registered gas installers? Should retailers be
legally required to record sales of gas equipment and
pass these to a central body, perhaps CORGI? Should
any central body selected for this purpose be
required to arrange the inspection of gas
installation work in any case where the record of
sale suggests work will be carried out by an
unregistered installer? Should increased publicity on
the dangers of DIY gas work be given by (i) HSE
campaigns, (ii) manufacturer's warnings, (iii) other
means? (HSC Discussion Document 'Gas Safety Review:
option for change', DDE14a, Page 50)
Recommendation 26
226. We understand concern about the possible risks
posed by incompetent DIY gas work, but believe at
present there is insufficient hard evidence of
incidents to support the introduction of a legal ban.
However, we recognise that current statistics might
not tell the full story and recommend that further
work be done more accurately to identify the scale of
the problem, ie by refining arrangements for
reporting incidents specifically to identify those
related to DIY (see Recommendation 9), with a view to
reviewing the legal position again (say in five years
time).
227. In the meantime, we recommend that increased
publicity should be given to the dangers of DIY gas
work (possibly funded through industry and the Gas
Safety Levy - see Recommendations 7 and 11). This
should focus more on legal requirements for
competence if DIY is undertaken, and penalties if
these are not met. More encouragement should also be
given to retailers for providing 'point of sale'
information, and equipment manufacturers to include
warnings
with products.
Analysis of responses
228. Of a total 109 responses to Q 30, 54 supported
the principle of banning DIY with 35 specifically
against; whereas 44 were in favour of a ban in
practice with 47 against (NB some voted just for
principle or practice, others for both). The similar
question in the consumer document resulted in 29
favouring a ban with 31 against and 1 unclear.
Replies to the public questionnaire showed 285 in
favour of a ban with 54 against. The issue was also
posted on a DIY Internet web site which provoked a
number of responses from those practising DIY gas
work; these were against more legal controls but
generally supported further publicity, stressing
competence requirements for DIY rather than
frightening people away from doing it.
Argument
232. Data currently available suggests that a number
of gas incidents have occurred over recent years
where DIY is directly or indirectly implicated, but,
the link is not always entirely clear and in some
cases it is possible for other factors to have
contributed. At present we do not believe that this
evidence is sufficiently strong to suggest that
current legal controls (ie for competence under GSIUR
regulation 3(1)) are inadequate, and an
absolute ban needs to be placed on DIY.
If you look at some of the rest of the report, and
contributing consultants reports concerning dangers
in the home in general, you will read that in the gas
arena, CO poisoning is by far and away the biggest
issue, and that all gas related accidents in the home
are a tiny proportion of the total. Ergo, DIY gas
work is not a major focus area for the HSE at
present.
That's pretty definitive. This statement from above
says it all...if an "absolute ban needs to be
placed on DIY" (as there is not one).
Then it is obviously legal.
Again.....
"At present we do not believe that this evidence
is sufficiently strong to suggest that current legal
controls (ie for competence under GSIUR regulation
3(1)) are inadequate, and an absolute ban needs to be
placed on DIY."
DIY GAS WORK is LEGAL
