Jo Alsop, founder of The Heating Hub, speaks to Paul Hull of the Gas Safety Superheroes about how the Gas Safe Register ID card can help eliminate illegal gas work.

Gas Safety Week 2019 (#GSW19) is here and events are taking place across the UK to highlight the importance of using an appropriately qualified Gas Safe registered engineer. With an estimated 1.1 million illegal gas jobs each year, 1 in 5 of which are ‘immediately dangerous’, it has never been so important for the Gas Safe registration to be fully understood by consumers.

But why are there so many illegal gas jobs? Ignorant and/or unscrupulous engineers are at the heart of it and there are many factors that have led to such poor standards in the industry. Fast-track training, downward pressure on prices, and a disregard for professionalism are but a few, and not quick to reverse.

In the absence of generally better standards, it falls to consumers and legitimate engineers in the short term to eliminate illegal gas work. It’s a big effort, but not insurmountable. A few simple changes could make the difference, providing they are universally adopted, as follows:

• Consumers always ask to see an engineer’s ID card
• The card is simpler to understand
• Qualified engineers always volunteer their ID card.

Asking to see the card

Illegal gas jobs could be eliminated entirely if every party to the inspection checked the qualifications of the attending engineer.

For homeowners and tenants this is easier said than done. Challenging an engineer on the doorstep to produce their card before spending a few awkward moments checking their credentials would be a barrier for many. In our heads we are saying “I don’t trust you”, and that just seems rude. Turning them away can take courage.

Understanding the card

If a card is presented, the second barrier is understanding the qualifications on the back. The card only lists appliances that the engineer can work on; not explicitly those they cannot, and therein lies a problem. What is to stop the attending engineer stating that ‘pipework’ covers all gas appliances?

A tick and cross system would make is clearer which appliances the engineer is qualified to work on. Better still would be to present the appliances pictorially.

To raise consumer awareness, Gas Safe have launched 'Trust the Triangle', a campaign designed to encourage customers to check the engineer’s ID card and the qualifications on the back. It is a good start, but does little to simplify the card or overcome any squeamishness around requesting to see it in the first instance.

Volunteering the card

If homeowners and tenants do not ask for the card, then it is down to installers to present it. I recently spoke to an industry colleague who asked to see the ID of a gas engineer attending to service his boiler. The engineer was rather surprised at the request, having never been asked. More worryingly, he presented an out-of-date card as his current card was being held ‘on file’ at the office.

So, why is the Gas Safe ID not routinely carried or presented?

Most likely it's because it’s an extra thing to do, remember and carry. During a busy day it seems unimportant to a conscientious, qualified engineer because he or she knows they’re covered. Actually the importance lies in familiarising customers with the card so they expect to see it and become suspicious when it is not presented.

Paul Hull, founder of non-for-profit Gas Safety Superheroes (GSSH), believes presenting the card is the key to eliminating illegal gas works. Paul reasons that “if every single engineer produced their ID card on every single job then every gas boiler owner would eventually know to expect it.”

Paul also believes that the humble ID card can restore pride to a trade that has been consistently devalued. “The Gas Safe ID card is all that exists on the front line between the legitimate and illegitimate gas operative,” he states. “Not only does it separate the qualified from the unqualified, it is a mark of professionalism to present it.

While GSSH is still in its infancy, Paul’s #regardthecard social media campaign has already attracted a lot of support from highly regarded gas engineers who have more than GSSH in common. They are part of a growing group that showcase their work and put pride and professionalism at the heart of their businesses.

GSSH also aims to educate the end-user on standards of services. Paul says “review sites are great for conveying that the attending engineer was neat, tidy and polite, or not as the case may be. They say nothing about whether they followed the correct gas safe procedures. For example, if the engineer does not remove the casing then it was not a service."

GSSH provides guidance on gas safety procedures to end users to help with this. For example, it has produced a graphic guide to boiler servicing which summarises all of the essential elements to a service and what to expect from the engineer in a way that is easy to understand.

Where do we go from here?

The success of Paul’s enterprise shows an appetite for the Gas Safe-accreditation to mean something. More than that, it fits neatly with changing attitudes towards the heating trade as one that should be mastered and executed well. But more support is needed.

Gas Safety Week 2019 is the perfect platform to roll out the #regardthecard ethos. GSSH are asking that gas engineers take pride and post a picture of themselves with their ID card. Lead by example says Paul and others will follow; mass adoption has to start somewhere.

The initiative also needs more industry backing. For GSW19, GSSH have welcomed the support of Worcester Bosch who have pledged their support for the campaign by donating a new 8000 boiler. Engineers must post their selfie with the hashtags: #GSSH, #GSW19 and #regardthecard for a chance to win.

GSSH is a concept that needs cross-industry support, and a pooling of resources to bring about this simple but highly effective cultural shift. Paul and his supporters have done a lot of the groundwork. We can definitely come together as an industry to take this onto the next step.