A survey conducted by Logic4Training, supported by the Gas Safe Register, has found that over half of gas engineers aren’t showing their Gas Safe card when arriving at the property of a homeowner, with even less showing it if asked.
The survey of 210 gas engineers that work in the domestic and commercial markets found that:
- 53% of gas installers aren’t showing their Gas Safe card when entering the home of a customer
- 37% of installers show their Gas Safe card when a homeowner asks to see it
Why do Homeowners Need to see a Gas Safe Card?
The importance of seeing a gas engineers credentials can’t be stressed enough. If your gas appliance is worked on by somebody that isn’t qualified then it could lead to risk of fire, explosion or exposure to carbon monoxide.
If the engineer doesn’t show you their Gas Safe card when they arrive, you should request to see it. When they show you the card, take a look at the front and back to find out if they’re fully qualified to be working on your gas appliance.
Could Gas Safe Cards be Improved?
Just over half of the engineers questioned felt that Gas Safe cards could be improved to help homeowners understand the Gas Safe cards better. They suggested:
- Using larger fonts
- Increasing visibility of engineer’s qualifications
- Using more accessible terminology
- Adding braille
What was the Response to the Research?
The Director of Logic4Training, Mark Krull said: “Installers on the ground have a huge influence on consumers’ understanding of what it means to be Gas Safe-registered and the Gas Safe card is a great tool to facilitate this. Engineers need to be showing their Gas Safe Card to all their customers, providing a brief explanation of the importance of being Gas Safe-registered and encouraging them to check the credentials of anyone coming to work on their gas appliances in the future.
“Following the results of this survey, we encourage all gas engineers to review their use of Gas Safe Register branding across their promotional materials and ask themselves if they could use their Gas Safe card more proactively. Not only is this a good marketing exercise, it helps to separate the genuine qualified gas engineers from the cowboys giving the industry a bad name.
“From engineers and training providers to magazines and suppliers, with Gas Safety Week 2018 on the horizon it’s a good time to think about how we can all work together to draw attention to the dangers of poorly maintained gas appliances.”
Gas Safety Week
The Gas Safe Register is raising awareness of gas safety with Gas Safety Week (17th-23rd September 2018) and we’ll be getting involved. We’re going to be sharing advice, articles and tips about gas safety all week on the Home Heating Guide Twitter account.
