In 2008/2009 tragedy struck and almost fifteen people died due to carbon monoxide poisoning. This was mainly due to low quality appliances, faulty installation, badly fitted appliances, and poor service quality. This accident was associated with domestic gas leak.
The HSE and the local bodies have made it mandatory for landlords to ensure that safety tests are done. They have enforced that all safety checks must be done by qualified registered engineers only. The companies or contractors who carry out these kinds of gas checks in local and domestic properties must employ engineers who are employed by Gas safe registered engineers. These engineers have mastered their trade and have undertaken specialized training in gas services.
It is the prime duty and responsibility of the landlord to ensure the tenants safety. To educate landlords and make them aware of their responsibilities HSE has joined hands with Landlord Association and has launched a website to educate landlords of their duties regarding gas safety checks, electrical checks, plumbing sector and so on. This websites also teach them how to get these checks done, how to get Gas certificate, and they even answer all their doubts by FAQs. There is a special forum where landlords can pose their questions, their doubts, the problems they encountered and are satisfactorily answered by its members.
By law, a registered Engineer can only issue a
gas certificate . For this he must take training in specialized course. He must have theoretical and practical knowledge. He must have perfect know-how of the safety standards for domestic and industrial purposes. These training centers are government approved and have accreditation from appropriate organizations. There are numerous gas and engineering colleges which give guidance and counseling for these kind of courses. They give free career guidance for distance learning courses, foundation degree, voluntary work courses and advice and counseling on full-fledged career as gas engineers. They even conduct aptitude and other basic skill tests so as to help the candidate to select and decide whether he has the potentiality and aptitude to become a gas engineer. He is counseled about the seriousness of the subject. He is informed that the certificate that he is going to issue ultimately in the last stage is a Gas safety record.
Whoever opts for this career must be a responsible and matured candidate. The reverberations of his negligence are explained to him. As the demand for this kind of engineering is increasing, several institutions have started basic foundation courses. Candidates are filtered from this course and only those eligible can go for degree course. In the basic courses, they give logistic understanding and personality development courses. Basically, they want to judge whether this applicant is right for this kind of serious career. As this kind of engineering deals with safeguarding lives and property of many individuals, the candidate must have a sober and stern outlook.
