Unsafe Gas Work
There have been many stories in the newspapers surrounding the tragic consequences of unsafe gas work. There have been reports of people suffering from brain damage and paralysis from carbon monoxide exposure. Often this would be a result from faulty fitted or badly repaired gas appliances. Unfortunately the sting in the tale is that most of these tragedies could have been prevented, had the correct safety measures been in place.
The relevance of the Gas Safe Register
The basis for the Gas Safe Register is to make sure that the public is protected at all times from unsafe gas work. This involves keeping track of all the reports that come in outlining faulty appliances and repairs. The Gas Safe Register takes all of these reports that threaten gas safety very seriously.
The firms that are registered with Gas Safe are expected to take gas safety very seriously. In complying with the regulations, they are expected to rectify any faults reported by the customer. As the businesses are responsible for owing a duty of care to their customers, they should take action quickly. If the business does not do this then they could face the suspension of their registration or even be completely removed from the Register.
It is important to note that most businesses are very dedicated and honest in their approach by sticking to the law. They invest quite a bit of time, funds, and training into their registration, therefore they may feel it’s unfair when it comes to complaints from customers.
However, public safety should always come first and only high standards of gas work will be acceptable. It is important that a balance is struck between taking care of a customer’s needs whilst also ensuring that the registered engineers are treated with fairness and respect.
There are many complaints made that are completely unfounded. To avoid this, it is better to keep the communication open between the customer and the business so that the customer can complain to the business when they are not satisfied with the gas work.
Striking the right balance
The Gas Safe Register is responsible for ensuring that the businesses are treated fairly whilst maintaining public safety. To demonstrate its fairness policy, as part of the investigation process, the Gas Safe Register invites businesses to participate too. This has many beneficial aspects. It allows to business to amend its ways and put things right. In addition, it allows the business to learn from the mistake to avoid future problems. It also gives the business the opportunity to maintain good customer relations.
If it is brought to the attention that the work was carried out by an incompetent or unregistered person, then this will call for immediate inspection and the information will be passed on to the Health and Safety Executive.
To ensure safety, it is necessary that when a defect notice is issued, the business takes the responsibility of completing the rectification work within the deadline specified by the Gas Safety Register. If for some reason the business fails to carry out the remedial work, then it should make alternative arrangements with the customer for another registered business to do it.
