D
Dotty
You may have noticed Derek Hardman occasionally posting a link up for a petition.
Here is a full explanation (lifted verbatim from facebook!) of why it's a good idea to sign up!
Dear Fellow Gas Engineer,
Given the tough economical climate and a totally depressed construction industry, we are up for a tough ride in our industry. No one really knows how long and how bad things could get before we start to see any improvement. We do however know the following facts;
- There are more than 125,000 Gas Safe registered engineers in the UK.
- There are more than 65,000 Gas Safe registered businesses in the UK.
- There are approximately 7,500 unregistered gas fitters actively working in the UK.
- There are 250,000 illegal gas jobs done every year by unregistered gas fitters.
- Dangerous DIY - one in three people would fit a gas appliance themselves to save money.
- Badly-fitted and poorly-serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, explosions, fires, and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
- Dangerous gas work can kill - 4 people died and 333 were injured in 2011-2012 (Source HSE 2011/12).
- Carbon monoxide poisoning – 3 reported deaths 2011-2012 (Source HSE 2011/12).
I am a concerned Gas Safe Registered Engineer, and like you, every day I am faced with challenges to keep my business’s head above the water, despite the number of illegal Gas works that takes place in our country today.
Most of us have gained our knowledge and skill through many years of training not to mention the expense which is ongoing throughout our career. To even consider that our businesses could cease through these difficult though very real time is a bitter pill to swallow.
Our businesses are not just being targeted by the biggest rescission in peace-time, we are also the target of the illegal Gas fitters whose number is on the rise, particularly as the state of our economy gets tougher.
Frankly the numbers are just too big for the regulator to deal with. It is unreasonable to even think that Gas Safe Register should employ sufficient inspector to take on 250,000 illegal cases per year. But there are many other practical solutions. The biggest stumbling block that very much gives the illegal fitters the advantage is the legislation itself. Anyone can walk into their local DIY store and purchase a boiler or a gas fire!
We run a forum of sum 70 Gas Engineers whose number is on the rise, we are currently running a petition addressed to the All-Party Parliamentary Group, requesting that the government to reassess the regulatory and legislative system in the Gas industry, but our petition can only be successful if the very people who it’s for get behind it and support it.
Do you feel there are too many illegal gas engineers operating in the UK today?
Do you feel helpless and want this to stop?
Do you wish to see Gas Safety awareness on national media including TV and radio?
Then do something about it and here’s your start. Take part and change your future, it'll barely take a minute of your time. Click on the following link;
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/gas-safety-in-uk.html
This petition was put together by other Gas Engineers and Businesses just like you, many of whom are group members of the Gas Engineers Forum on Facebook. You can also be a member too, it won't cost you a penny. Follow this link and ask to join the group.
https://www.************/groups/gasengineers/
Here is a full explanation (lifted verbatim from facebook!) of why it's a good idea to sign up!
Dear Fellow Gas Engineer,
Given the tough economical climate and a totally depressed construction industry, we are up for a tough ride in our industry. No one really knows how long and how bad things could get before we start to see any improvement. We do however know the following facts;
- There are more than 125,000 Gas Safe registered engineers in the UK.
- There are more than 65,000 Gas Safe registered businesses in the UK.
- There are approximately 7,500 unregistered gas fitters actively working in the UK.
- There are 250,000 illegal gas jobs done every year by unregistered gas fitters.
- Dangerous DIY - one in three people would fit a gas appliance themselves to save money.
- Badly-fitted and poorly-serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, explosions, fires, and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
- Dangerous gas work can kill - 4 people died and 333 were injured in 2011-2012 (Source HSE 2011/12).
- Carbon monoxide poisoning – 3 reported deaths 2011-2012 (Source HSE 2011/12).
I am a concerned Gas Safe Registered Engineer, and like you, every day I am faced with challenges to keep my business’s head above the water, despite the number of illegal Gas works that takes place in our country today.
Most of us have gained our knowledge and skill through many years of training not to mention the expense which is ongoing throughout our career. To even consider that our businesses could cease through these difficult though very real time is a bitter pill to swallow.
Our businesses are not just being targeted by the biggest rescission in peace-time, we are also the target of the illegal Gas fitters whose number is on the rise, particularly as the state of our economy gets tougher.
Frankly the numbers are just too big for the regulator to deal with. It is unreasonable to even think that Gas Safe Register should employ sufficient inspector to take on 250,000 illegal cases per year. But there are many other practical solutions. The biggest stumbling block that very much gives the illegal fitters the advantage is the legislation itself. Anyone can walk into their local DIY store and purchase a boiler or a gas fire!
We run a forum of sum 70 Gas Engineers whose number is on the rise, we are currently running a petition addressed to the All-Party Parliamentary Group, requesting that the government to reassess the regulatory and legislative system in the Gas industry, but our petition can only be successful if the very people who it’s for get behind it and support it.
Do you feel there are too many illegal gas engineers operating in the UK today?
Do you feel helpless and want this to stop?
Do you wish to see Gas Safety awareness on national media including TV and radio?
Then do something about it and here’s your start. Take part and change your future, it'll barely take a minute of your time. Click on the following link;
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/gas-safety-in-uk.html
This petition was put together by other Gas Engineers and Businesses just like you, many of whom are group members of the Gas Engineers Forum on Facebook. You can also be a member too, it won't cost you a penny. Follow this link and ask to join the group.
https://www.************/groups/gasengineers/