Following our previous post in December 2017 the HSE has released further and updated information on the Gas Safe retender.
The Gas Safe register provides the official list of gas engineers registered to work legally in Great Britain. Those running the register were given a 10-year contract which expires on 31 March 2019. Accordingly, the HSE issued an invitation for tenders of the contract in March 2018 with confirmation of who has been awarded the contract expected in September.
Any new contract will be given for 5-years with the main functions of the register to remain the same as they currently are. The HSE are considering introducing the following changes:
- Advisory panel with representation from the Register’s membership. This is expected to be an online virtual panel who will be making formal representations to the Register and/or HSE on behalf of registered businesses.
- Investigating the feasibility of introducing student registration.
Readers will recall that in our previous post we raised the possibility of the Gas Safe brand changing following this retender however, we understand that it is in fact unlikely to change.
The Gas Safe brand was designed with a dual purpose in mind. First as to the identity of the gas registration scheme and second to underpin all gas safety education and awareness campaigns. The brand is therefore associated with actions that educate the public about gas safety risks and how to avoid them and drives the demand for registered installers. As such, we understand that the Gas Safe brand is owned by HSE on behalf of gas installers and will be available for use by those granted the new contract.
Comment
It appears that the HSE is hoping for the retender to go through without much fanfare or disruption to installers. However, with the introduction of possible changes as identified above this post may need to be updated once again.
