Gas training – why it matters

Last week (21^st – 25^th November) was the 9^th annual Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week, run by the charity CO Awareness.

The charity’s aim is to improve safety and raise awareness through campaigning for changes in legislation covering the manufacture, installation and servicing of gas appliances.

At EOGB, we’re committed to eradicating unsafe gas work and we provide first-class training to ensure that any engineers who train with us are fully competent.

 

Safety measures

To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, the charity suggests several measures for homeowners, including:

• All fuel burning appliances and associated flues/chimneys are installed by the appropriate, registered trades people
• the above is maintained and serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions

 

Appropriate training

The Gas Safe Register is an official list of tradespeople who are deemed competent to work on gas appliances. The aim of the register is to uphold the highest standards of gas safety and protect the public from unsafe gas work.

To become gas safe registered, an engineer must achieve certain qualifications. One of these is the National Accreditation Certification Scheme, also referred to as ACS, which is suitable for experienced gas engineers.

At EOGB we provide ACS training and assessments at our facility in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, which covers the following modules:

• CCN1 – core module that all gas engineers must hold
• CENWAT – central heating boilers and water heaters
• CKR1 – gas cookers
• HTR1 – gas fires
• CPA1 – flue gas combustion analysers

 

The course is run over the course of 4 days (this includes 2 days of refresher training) and to make sure attendees get the best learning experience, we have no more than six engineers per course.

Upon successful completion of the ACS assessment, engineers are deemed competent to work on gas appliances and can join the Gas Safe Register. It is a requirement to be re-assessed every five years.

If you’re new to the industry and want to become gas safe registered, you can also choose to undertake a new entrant domestic gas course.

 

Is your ACS due for renewal?

If your gas qualifications are about to expire, make sure your carbon monoxide awareness is up to date by booking on to one of our gas courses today. And take a look at our other available courses here.