The CORGI Scheme – A Government-Backed Guarantee of Safety
Historically, only gas installers who were registered with the CORGI were permitted to work on domestic gas appliances. Although the scheme has been discontinued by law, many consumers see it as an assurance of safety.
In the UK, gas installation businesses must be registered with the CORGI if they wish to carry out work on appliances such as boilers and heaters. It also manages ventilation, electrical and plumbing programs for installers. This has led to a significant decrease in the number of incidents of fires, leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Council for Registered Gas Installers was Northern Ireland’s only gas engineer register before April 2010. However, in 2009 the CORGI gas registration scheme was replaced by the Gas Safe Register as the sole official gas registration body for Great Britain.
The CORGI gas registration scheme was launched after a gas explosion in London in 1968, leading to a partial collapse of Ronan Point tower block. It was intended to raise awareness of gas safety among the general public. The booklet also included a certificate of installation and a sales brochure.
According to estimates, there were 55,000 CORGI registered businesses that employed almost 110,000 UK gas workers. In order to be eligible to be on the register, a gas installer must have a valid certificate of competence from the Accredited Certification Scheme. You must also have public liability insurance.
This scheme is designed to increase the safety and quality of gas installations and usage in the UK. This goal has been a long-term objective of the organisation. It has conducted regular inspections of its registered engineers and employs a team of investigators to spot illegal engineers. Engineers can also use the Gas Safe Register’s Unsafe Situations Procedure if they are in an unsafe situation.
Representatives of gas engineers and consumer groups were both involved in the 2006 domestic gas safety review. In addition, the HSE conducted a review of the gas registration schemes in the UK, including the CORGI gas registration scheme. Results showed that carbon monoxide poisoning was significantly lower with the CORGI gas registry scheme. In fact, the number of domestic gas related fatalities had dropped during this period.
A large proportion of the money raised by the scheme goes to the CORGI Trust, which uses it to promote and develop gas safety in the UK. The HSE recommended funds to be used for campaigning for lower gas installation fees and for a television campaign to warn consumers about the dangers from carbon monoxide. Trust also suggested that gas appliance purchases be restricted to CORGI-registered gas installers.