In the latest instalment of the new monthly column, the Secret Installer asks: Why is it legal for members of the public to buy gas parts?:

Paint, fence panel, patio set, boiler. Do these things sound familiar?

Of course they do, these are things available to members of the general public to buy from major DIY stores (you know I can’t name them, but you all know who I mean).

There’s an odd one out of those four items – the boiler. That’s the only one that, by law, you need to be registered to install. So why is it even available to Joe Public?

The sale of gas spares and appliances to anybody who wants them is not good for registered engineers. It undermines our work – and that of our governing bodies.

The safety issues caused by allowing this to continue are uncountable, and the question needs to be asked: How long can this go on until someone is killed? That’s the unpalatable truth of the matter.

For the retailers, it generates income, and to them it’s just another pound note in the till. As long as there’s a sign somewhere right at the back of the store saying “This product must be fitted by a registered installer”, they’ve been compliant with the rules and there’s little anyone can do about it.

The deeper issues lie beyond the merchants and DIY chains, and land squarely with the Government. Until someone really steps up to the mark and takes responsibility, this issue will not go away.

So it seems that the need to make money flies in the face of safety. Change is possible but only at the very highest level, and, considering the Government’s priorities, how likely are they to make this change any time soon? I believe a change is possible, but it needs to be you and me – the installers – that push for this change.

The Secret Installer started work aged 15 for a large national gas company – and has loved the industry ever since. Now he runs his own company – established for 14 years – and works on domestic boilers every day.
In a new monthly column, The Secret Installer lifts the lid on what makes installers tick, and how we can improve life for grass roots engineers.