Capita will continue to operate the Gas Safe register

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) announced on the 11^th September that Capita Gas Registration and Ancillary Services (CGRAS) have been awarded the five-year contract to deliver Gas Safe registration services until the end of March 2024, subject to a statutory 10-day standstill period in which other companies can contest the decision.   CGRAS, a part of Capita plc, has operated the Gas Safe Register since it replaced CORGI in 2009.  The 10-year contract expires in March 2019 and a new five-year contract was put out to tender early this year.  

Will there be any changes under the new contract?

There will be several changes and improvements during the new concession, including:  

• A single UK-wide service that will operate across Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Revised inspection targets – by applying a risk-based approach to target inspections where they will have most impact, the number of inspections will reflect the number of businesses registered and the risk these businesses and their engineers represent. This will result in an estimated increase of approx. 20% in the number of inspections in Year 1 compared to the final year of current agreement.
• Enabling registered engineers to more easily access data held about them (such as inspection history and findings, risk rating).
• A commitment to explore the benefits of introducing student registration.
• The introduction of an advisory panel to the Register with representation from across the industry, focussing on the smaller businesses that are not represented on other industry platforms, to improve engagement and communication between the industry and the Register.

 

What do I need to do?

No action is required for registered engineers and businesses at the moment.  All contact numbers, registrations and renewal dates will remain the same.  HSE say that registered engineers will be informed by the provider of any changes to the service that may affect them before they are introduced.  

Why Capita?

HSE have said that in addition to the strength of Capita’s bid for the next concession, it felt assured by the way CGRAS had managed Gas Safe registration services over the last nine years.   Philip White, HSE’s Director of Regulation, said: “During the procurement process we received several strong bids and we are pleased with the interest the tender opportunity generated.   “The bid from Capita / CGRAS was the strongest on cost and quality and we are confident they will continue to raise the standards of gas safety and provide a gas safe home for everyone.   “We will continue to employ a thorough governance process, including key performance indicators and service level agreements with potential financial penalties to manage the contract closely to ensure services are delivered in a cost-effective manner and the needs of gas engineers and consumers are met.”