Council for Registered Gas Installers

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The Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) operates the registration scheme for gas installers in the UK. Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 anybody undertaking work on gas fittings or appliances by way of business must be a "member of a class of persons approved ...by the Health and Safety Executive" (HSE). Since 1991 CORGI has had the remit of the HSE to register gas operatives and businesses as being approved under the law. CORGI registration requires (beside payment of fees) that gas operatives hold a certificate of competence under the Accredited Certification Scheme (ACS) demonstrating an appropriate level of competence and experience in particular types of gas work. The ACS replaced a number of different certification schemes in 1998.

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[edit] Background

CORGI was originally established in 1970 as the Confederation for the Registration of Gas Installers to operate a voluntary register. This followed a gas explosion in 1968 which led to the partial collapse of Ronan Point, a tower block in London.

Notwithstanding gas explosions, the greatest danger to the public in using gas is from Carbon Monoxide (CO), which is a highly toxic by-product of the combustion process. Most of the concern for gas safety focuses on avoiding excessive production of CO through adequate ventilation and correct combustion, and the safe dispersal of the small amounts produced by correct combustion through effective flue systems. Modern room-sealed gas appliances are much safer in this respect and the number of fatalities from CO poisoning has greatly declined. Each year in the UK around 30 people are killed as a result of CO poisoning.

Registration with CORGI is now a legal requirement under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 for any gas installation business and there are around 55,000 CORGI registered businesses in the UK employing nearly 110,000 gas operatives. However, there is evidence of a large number of unregistered installers operating and undercutting legitimate businesses. This is something that CORGI wants to stop and is currently working with other members of the industry, such as manufacturers and merchants, to find ways to prohibit the sale of gas appliances to illegal gas workers.

CORGI is answerable to the Health and Safety Executive, which is the Government watchdog on all safety issues, including gas. The HSE has the authority to appoint CORGI and/or other agencies to operate the Register of Gas Installers. In 2006 another body (NAPIT) made an application to the HSE to operate a rival registration scheme. This application was turned down by the Health and Safety Executive. It is the CORGI view - a view that is supported by many other organisations too such as the All Party Parliamentary Gas Safety Group - that introducing another gas registration body would cause confusion. However some registered gas installers believe that CORGI's decision to run schemes for plumbing, electrics and ventilation will itself create public confusion, as well as taking away its focus from the prime consideration of gas safety. However, CORGI has been clear that gas safety is at the core of its business and will remain so. CORGI realises that gas installers often do jobs other than just gas and the decision to offer plumbing, electrical and ventilation schemes was made to help installers that are CORGI registered for gas to comply with Building Regulations in areas closely related to gas work.

In recent years there has been controversy over some aspects of the expanding role of CORGI. Some gas installers feel that the organisation is overbearing and an excessive financial burden, and that little is being done to stop unregistered installers operating. As a consequence the Association of Registered Gas Installers (ARGI) was created in 2004 and seeks to moderate the influence of CORGI. It has recently been invited by CORGI to join the CORGI Principal Representative Body (formerly the CORGI Council) and was present at various committees of the latest Fundamental Review of Gas Safety where it represented the viewpoint and experience of independent gas installers. CORGI is now working harder to listen to installers and provide more assistance in order to be seen as a benefit to business rather than a burden.

[edit] CORGI Trust

In 2005, CORGI set up the CORGI Trust, which sees all profits from the commercial side of the business being donated to the Trust. These funds will then be used to help advance gas safety within the UK. Recommendations for the use of these funds has ranged from getting the Government to change the law so that only CORGI registered installers can buy gas appliances, through to doing a national television campaign to increase awareness on the need for customers to only use CORGI registered installers and the dangers of carbon monoxide.

[edit] Trivia

In the 2005 album Achtung Bono by British Band Half Man Half Biscuit, an album track is entitled "CORGI Registered Friends".

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