Natural Gas: Safety
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to introduce additional preventative measures to reduce unregistered gas works.
Answered by Sir Stephen Timms
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the enforcing authority for gas businesses and engineers (including self- employed gas engineers) who work in people's homes. Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) requires engineers undertaking gas work to be competent, registered with Gas Safe Register (GSR), and to work in accordance with the appropriate standards and in a way that does not put people in danger.
HSE and Local Authorities regulate this through enforcement powers set under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Enforcement powers available to regulators include prosecution, prohibition notices and improvement notices. GSR also has a dedicated team to investigate allegations of gas work by unregistered engineers and businesses (illegal gas fitters) and provides HSE with evidence of these activities.
In addition to this, GSR publishes a range of gas safety information and guidance on its website, and regularly runs media campaigns to promote key gas safety messages to the public. This includes promoting and delivering the annual national safety campaign “Gas Safety Week” which has wide ranging coverage.
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