Product category:
Gas Services
News Release from: CORGI Group | Subject: Gas Work Notification
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 10 November 2005
High Court confirms gas work
notification is legal
Following the Appeal by the APHC against the introduction of Gas Work Notification, Mr Justice Calvert-Smith ruled that Gas Work Notification is entirely legal.
Following the Appeal by the APHC against the introduction of Gas Work Notification, Mr Justice Calvert-Smith ruled that Gas Work Notification is entirely legal The hearing at the Royal Court of Justice was to consider the Appeal by the APHC of Justice Richard's decision made in August, when he refused APHC permission to seek a Judicial Review of the decision by CORGI to introduce compulsory gas work notification; his judgement had been that the case was 'doomed to fail'
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 18 Apr 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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The APHC's application for a Judicial Review of the Gas Work Notification Scheme argued that CORGI had no power to introduce a compulsory GWN scheme, arguing instead for a voluntary scheme.
It also asserted that CORGI had a duty to consult before introducing GWN, but that it had failed to do so.
However, the court yesterday affirmed that CORGI is working within its' remit from the HSE and the scheme is an appropriate way to further the inspection process.
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In line with the Government's move to extend self-certification beyond gas and electrical work, CORGI has developed two new Competent Persons Schemes for the Plumbing and Ventilation trades.
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CORGI has issued a response to the recent announcement that the HSE is considering approving another organisation to run a gas registration scheme alongside it.
The Judge was also satisfied that CORGI had addressed concerns that the scheme would be expensive and overly bureaucratic and therefore had not placed registered installers at a competitive disadvantage.
He further stated that CORGI had consulted appropriately.
CORGI's Managing Director for Gas Registration Tim Ottridge says: "We are delighted with this result".
"We have always been confident that Gas Work Notification is an essential element in our strategy to drive the improvement of gas safety".
"Any doubts surrounding the legality of the scheme have been quashed".
"Despite the APHC's attempt to stop Gas Work Notification, registered installers have embraced the scheme and we are now receiving around 4,500 notifications a day and have had over 520,000 since the scheme was introduced in April." Changes have already been made to CORGI's inspection process using the information gained through Gas Work Notification to best affect.
The results of those inspections have confirmed that the availability of this new information will significantly improve the safety of registered installers and make the inspection process more rigorous.
Mr Justice Calvert-Smith agreed that CORGI should be able to determine how sites for inspection are selected.
The APHC suggested alternative methods that CORGI could adopt.
The Judge said that he was confident that CORGI would be receptive to finding ways to making Gas Work Notification simpler.
CORGI is working with installers to improve the notification process and has recently made changes to make it easier.
Tim Ottridge continues: "Having had an initial judgement in our favour, we are very concerned about the increasing costs that CORGI has incurred as a result of the Appeal, particularly as our registered installers ultimately fund these costs (estimated in excess of GBP60,000 for each party)".
"Unfortunately we failed to secure an order for our costs against the APHC".
All CORGI registered installers have been required to notify CORGI of any appliance installation or exchange within a residential property since April 2005.
CORGI Inspectors are working proactively with installers in their local area to help increase individual understanding of the procedures and reinforcing the need for installers to notify as a condition of their registration.
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