PHCA, the overarching body for plumbing and heating businesses throughout the United Kingdom, has written an open letter to the HSE calling for it to take action on the findings outlined in its 2010 Enforcement Review document.

The initial review was carried out in 2010 and many in the industry took part believing that they were helping to instigate some long needed changes to the area of enforcement and illegal gas work. Many of these changes are yet to be implemented.


PHCA has had concerns for a number of months about the contents of the review document, saying that there appears to have been a reluctance to release it to industry stakeholders. The PHCA have argued that the HSE comment in a recent issue of Registered Gas Engineer magazine that there was “no evidence that respondents wanted fundamental change” did not fit with views received from registered gas engineers who have expressed a strong desire for change. The report has now been released by HSE under a Freedom of Information Act request.


John Thompson, chief executive, APHC commented: “It is clear that many stakeholders want activity on enforcement and illegal gas work to be increased. We suspected that the review document would highlight the changes needed but we cannot understand why the HSE are reluctant to act on some of the more important findings detailed. We feel that we had no other option than to write to the HSE and make this debate public to ensure that the industry gets the outcomes that many have worked towards for some time. We have requested a meeting at which our concerns can be addressed. ”


A full copy of the Gas Enforcement Review document can be downloaded from the Gas Safe Register Website, and the open letter can be read below.


PHCA is an alliance between the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC) and the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers´ Federation (SNIPEF).


 


HSE Gas Enforcement Review


We write on behalf of the Plumbing & Heating Contractors’ Alliance Ltd, the overarching body for plumbing and heating businesses throughout the United Kingdom, (an alliance between the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC) and the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers´ Federation (SNIPEF). We have now had the opportunity to carry out an analysis of the recently released Gas Enforcement Review document.


We find it disappointing that there appears to have been reluctance on the part of HSE to release the findings of a HSE commissioned review project to which our members and the wider industry made a significant contribution.


The Enforcement Review itself was preceded by a number of fundamental improvements in downstream gas policy such as the establishment of a new registration body with a clearly defined role and objectives. These developments were borne out of widespread dissatisfaction and an under performance of the existing approaches to dealing with gas safety, that were raised by a wide range of stakeholders over a significant period of time, culminating in the 2006 Frontline Review of Gas Safety. On the introduction of the new registration body in 2009 came the requirement for gas competency and enforcement arrangements to be reviewed, both subjects being identified by key stakeholders as areas requiring further development. At the time there were a number of fundamental assurances provided that there would be increased openness and transparency in setting future gas policy and procedures.


In making comment on the review document itself we find ourselves in disagreement with a recent HSE statement that: “...there was no evidence from the review that respondents wanted fundamental change”. On the contrary, our reading of the report is that it confirms the wish of large numbers of respondents for increased activity on enforcement and illegal gas work including controls on the sale of gas appliances. The purpose of our writing as key stakeholders in the downstream gas industry is therefore to establish the latest HSE position on taking forward the individual findings outlined in the 2010 Enforcement Review document, i.e. those which it intends to take forward and those which it has discounted. It would also be useful if we could establish a better understanding of the rationale for discounting any key findings or recommendations. We would like to request a meeting to discuss our concerns and those of many stakeholders in the downstream gas industry on the issue of gas safety enforcement.


Yours sincerely