Health & Safety Executive opens competition for provider to “beef up domestic gas safety standards”

The HSE recently launched a competition to run a new gas installer registration scheme, whose aim is to “beef-up domestic gas safety standards.”

The scheme advances on recommendations made in the HSE’s review of the domestic gas safety regime, and invites bidders to participate in a two-stage process – the first stage being a pre-bid to establish competence for submitting a full bid.

The winner will remain under the oversight of the HSE as the single provider for a five year term to co-ordinate industry action on raising public awareness of gas safety, tackle the problem of illegal and unregistered installers, and reviewing the competence requirements of gas installers. The deadline for pre-qualification is September 3rd.

Health and safety minister Lord McKenzie said “this is a major opportunity to re-energize domestic gas safety, which is aimed at decreasing gas related incidents in the coming years. I particularly welcome the new responsibility to co-ordinate industry actions on raising public awareness on gas safety.”

HSE statistics indicate that in 2005/06, 16 fatalities were the result of gas CO poising – half that of a decade ago, but their report also indicaters that public ignorance of the issue is once again on the rise.

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