APHCI NEWS
not yet appreciate that the person they have traditionally called to carry out gas work may now need to meet additional regulatory requirements. This is why communication must remain a priority. The RGI Scheme has provided guidance for installers, employers and commercial businesses, including information on registration and the actions that different groups need to take. But information on a website is only part of the solution. The message needs to reach the workshop, the contractor, the facilities manager and ultimately the person responsible for calling an installer when something goes wrong. The customer needs to understand the change too There is a particular responsibility on commercial and non-domestic customers. A hotel manager, restaurant owner, facilities manager, school administrator or building operator may not necessarily be aware that the regulatory requirements surrounding gas work have changed. They need to know that the person undertaking regulated non-domestic gas work must be appropriately registered. They also need to understand that registration is not simply an administrative requirement. It is part of a wider safety system designed to ensure that gas work is undertaken by people with the appropriate competence and oversight. Commercial businesses are being advised to familiarise themselves with the new requirements and to check that installers are appropriately registered before engaging them. That message deserves to be repeated throughout the industry. Do we have enough training capacity? This is perhaps the question APHCI believes deserves the greatest attention over the coming months. If the objective is to ensure that non-domestic gas work is undertaken safely by competent and appropriately registered people, then the industry needs sufficient access to training and assessment. That means having enough: • Training places • Suitably experienced trainers • Assessment capacity • Recognition of Prior Learning support • Practical facilities • Clear guidance
• Opportunity for installers to complete the necessary requirements without unreasonable disruption to their businesses The CRU has established a Recognition of Prior Learning process specifically to help experienced non-domestic gas installers who may not hold the formal qualifications normally required to access the RGI Scheme. Successful RPL applicants will be required to complete the Non-Domestic Gas Safety Award. That is a positive mechanism. But its success will depend, in part, on the capacity of the wider training and assessment system to respond to demand. Nobody should be left behind The industry needs to strike the right balance. On one hand, nobody should be permitted to undertake regulated gas work without the necessary competence. On the other, Ireland has a considerable pool of experienced installers who have built their careers working safely in the commercial environment. The transition should give those people a clear and practical pathway to demonstrate their existing knowledge and address any areas where additional training is required. The purpose should not be to create unnecessary barriers. The purpose should be to establish and demonstrate competence. That distinction is important. Good regulation should raise standards while helping competent people understand exactly what is expected of them. Safety must remain paramount There is sometimes a tendency to view new regulation primarily through the lens of compliance. APHCI believes we should look at it differently. The ultimate purpose of gas regulation is to protect people. It is about the safety of customers, employees, installers and the wider public; making sure that gas installations are worked on by competent people; and identifying problems before they become incidents. And it is about giving customers confidence that the person working on their installation is appropriately qualified and registered. The CRU has stated that extending the RGI Scheme to non-domestic gas work is intended to enhance safety outcomes and protection for the public, increase oversight of individuals carrying out non-
domestic gas work, introduce proactive inspection and support investigation of illegal work. Those are objectives that APHCI fully supports. A shared responsibility The successful implementation of the new regulations cannot rest with one organisation. Government and regulators have a responsibility to communicate the requirements clearly and ensure that the regulatory framework works effectively. Training providers have a responsibility to provide appropriate, high-quality training and assessment. Manufacturers and industry organisations can help communicate the practical implications of the changes. Installers must take responsibility for understanding their obligations and maintaining their competence. And commercial customers need to ensure that appropriately registered installers are engaged. Everyone has a role to play. Getting the implementation right The introduction of non-domestic gas regulation is a major step for the Irish plumbing and heating sector. APHCI welcomes it. But legislation on its own does not make an installation safer. People do. Competent people. Properly trained people. People who understand the requirements and have the practical skills to apply them. That is why APHCI believes the next phase must focus strongly on awareness, training and practical implementation. We need to make sure that installers know what is required. We need to make sure that businesses understand their responsibilities. And we need to make sure there is sufficient training and assessment capacity to allow competent installers to meet the new requirements. The industry should approach this change positively and constructively. The objective is not simply compliance for compliance’s sake. It is about creating a stronger culture of competence and safety across non- domestic gas work in Ireland. Better regulation. Better awareness. Better training. Above all, safer gas installations. That is the outcome APHCI wants to see.
Want to know more?
Contact David Gilroy: E: dgilroy@aphci.ie www.aphci.ie
www.plumbingmag.com FOLLOW US ON:
PLUMBING & HEATING MAGAZINE | 55
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online