It is clear to us that the use of “armies” of unregistered installers is widely recognised and somewhere must be being sanctioned at high level. I am reminded of Sigourney Weaver’s comment in Alien II and would ask the same question she did. Who’s laying the eggs ?

Someone must be training these people. Training requires a strategy and organisation. Training requires facilities and trainers. Might we see the headline soon “Corgi Registered Gas Installer trains Unregistered Gas Installers” ? That I suspect is what is happening.

Corgi it seems now know it is happening but are they pro-actively seeking to engage with the people concerned ?

H&V News May 4 2002

Firms forced to use unregistered installers for commercial jobs

Pipe-fitters used to ‘solve’ skills crisis

by Ed Dorrell

There is widespread alarm in the hvac sector about companies splitting installations into two parts because of the skills shortage in the domestic heating industry.

This trend was first reported in H&V News back in October 2000, whereby, companies admitted to using unregistered pipe-fitters at the early stage of an installation to help get staff volume up and meet consumer demand. The job would then be completed and certified by a CORGI-registered engineer.

Nearly 18 months later, there are signs that this trend has accelerated, with no solution to skills crisis in the industry in sight.

According to Ken tweed of Scottish heating firm. Boiler Doctor, the practice is rife throughout the industry north of the border.

He told H&V News “It has come to my attention that there are many major firms in the industry using armies of pipe-fitters to do most of the installation work on a commercial job and then bringing in an ACS operative to deal with the gas-connection”.

Crazy

Mr Tweed claims that these companies treat pipework as if it is not part of the gas installation process. "It's crazy to think that these unregistered pipe-fitters have responsibility for gas safety just as much as anyone else on a project,” he said.

He added that his firm had in the past been approached to commission work installed by pipe-fitters and had refused. "We were very reticent about getting involved in such a contract because of our concerns about maintaining safety standards.” Mr Tweed added.

Unclear

According to Barry Cottington, director of heating firm Claireglow, one of one of the first to highlight this practice in the industry, it remains unclear if this trend will accelerate in the coming months.

However, Mr Cottington believes that while there is a skills shortage in the industry, it's a practice that has the potential to become more widespread. “People have been panicking about the skills shortage in the last two years and some have concluded that this method of carrying out installations might be the answer.

His views were echoed by Peter Thorn, of Greenheat who added: "It is certainly an issue the industry needs to look at, he said.

Standards

Mr Thorn added: "At a time when the sector is trying to improve standards, we do not want to create divisions in the gas fitting industry,”

A CORGI spokeswoman told H&V News that the gas safety watchdog is concerned about the practice of employing pipe-fitters on heating contracts.

Regulations

“Regulations state that the fitting of pipes in both commercial and domestic installations must be undertaken by a CORGI registered installer, she said. "It is not, therefore, appropriate that an ACS qualified installer is brought in only to commission an installation”