If you want to trade legally as a gas engineer then you must complete the appropriate gas safety courses in order to take your place on the Gas Safe Register, the body in charge of maintaining standards within the industry.

Gas safety training, or Accredited Certification Scheme (ACS) courses are necessary prior to applying to the Gas Safe Register. As a starting point, candidates must complete Core Gas Safety (CCN1) initial training and the subsequent assessment, plus appliance training in equipment related to their line of work – Central Heating & Hot Water (CENWAT), Cookers (CKR1) and Space Heaters (HTR1), for example. To maintain a place on the Gas Safe Register, installers must be re-assessed every five years.

When it comes to gas, there’s no sense in cutting corners. Trading illegally may cost you a hefty fine and ultimately put customers’ lives at risk – keeping up to date with gas safety, through training, is important for your business and more importantly, your conscience.

Prior to undertaking the CCN1 course (and appliances), you must have completed an NVQ level 3 in plumbing or gas heating – ACS training is part of the gas apprenticeship. For candidates who have not completed the appropriate NVQ but have transferable skills, or have been working under the guidance of a Gas Safe Registered installer, we offer new entrants training – Approved Prior Learning courses.

If you are completely new to the sector, our Access to Building Services, C&G 2000 (Level 1) training delivers a background in a range of trades, including gas heating, providing a stepping-stone onto an apprenticeship programme.

Whatever your route into the industry, if you want to be a gas heating engineer, gas safety courses are imperative in order to maintaining your place on the Gas Safe Register.

It’s mid-March, which means for installers who haven’t re-assessed, in a couple of weeks time their ACS qualifications will be out of date. Hopefully, you’ve already done the appropriate training and assessment to maintain your place on the Gas Safe Register; here’s how the ACS has changed in the last five years:

Goodbye CORGI, hello Gas Safe Register
The biggest change is the introduction of the Gas Safe Register Towards the end of its reign CORGI was in many installers’ bad books who felt the body had lost touch with its original gas safety remit, focusing more on commercial endeavors. The introduction of the Gas Safe Register has actually led to a surge in gas engineers entering the industry ‘legally’ – many had been previously trading under the radar but decided to play by the book when CORGI stepped aside – anecdotal evidence suggests this could be between 10,000 and 15,000 individuals.

New appliance modules

Central Heating (CEN1) and Hot Water (WAT1) became CENWAT: As of April last year, CEN1 and WAT1 have been withdrawn, replaced by new module CENWAT – available as both initial training and reassessment. The new module covers all aspects of installation, commissioning, servicing and repair of domestic gas-fired central heating, hot water boilers and circulators, combination boilers, storage water heaters and instantaneous water heaters up to 70kW.

This won’t present a great deal of change for installers undertaking their ACS, other than to complete CENWAT as a reassessment, candidates must be renewing both CEN1 and WAT1 at the same time – for installers who only hold either CEN1 or WAT1 there is an initial training CENWAT module.

Introduction of Combustion Performance Analysis (CPA1): Developments in domestic gas appliance design, primarily brought about by the introduction of new technology and improvements to efficiency, has created the need for gas engineers to demonstrate their competence in carrying out combustion performance analysis using a portable electronic combustion analyser, hence the introduction of the ACS assessment, CPA1.

By 1st April this year, all installers who hold the ACS appliance elements CENWAT or Space Heaters (HTR1) must also hold their Combustion Performance Analysis of Domestic Appliances (CPA1). Domestic heating engineers have until the end of March 2012 to complete their CPA1 (if they don’t already have it) – from 1st April, CCN1 will incorporate CPA1 requirements.

Need gas ACS training and assessment? Click here for more information.

If you’re a gas engineer chances are it’s time to renew your ACS. Things have changed a bit since you last did this – here’s a low down of what’s new:

The Gas Safe Register

The most notable change is that the Gas Safe Register’s been replaced by CORGI. What this means for gas engineers is a slightly different approach to ACS.

The scheme itself is now run by E & U Skills with the input of sector skills councils and industry representatives to provide a more balanced viewpoint. Under the Gas Safe Register, engineers are considered competent once they’ve got an ACS certificate. When CORGI was in charge installers were only accepted onto the register once they had been seen by a representative who effectively went through the same questions covered during assessment – doubling up the process. The Gas Safe Register will come out to view work within three months and operatives must keep a log of activity carried out during this period but there review is based on practical application, rather than re-assessing again in the same way as ACS.

New appliance modules

Central Heating (CEN1) and Hot Water (WAT1) became CENWAT: As of April last year, CEN1 and WAT1 have been withdrawn, replaced by new module CENWAT – available as both initial training and reassessment.

Introduction of Combustion Performance Analysis (CPA1): By 1^st April this year, all installers who hold the ACS appliance elements CENWAT or Space Heaters (HTR1) must also hold their Combustion Performance Analysis of Domestic Appliances (CPA1). Domestic heating engineers have until the end of March 2012 to complete their CPA1 (if they don’t already have it) – from 1^st April, CCN1 will incorporate CPA1 requirements.

More information about our Gas ACS training and reassessment can be found here.