why have a FGA acs assement

[Mike Jackson]

The only notes we got was a single sheet with the ratios for various appliances. Didn't make a great deal of odds because you couldn't have failed if you wanted to as there was so much hand holding.

 

[CMairiD]

Yeah, the focus seems to be ratios only.

BTW, Mike, I'm jealous of the course you did in Leeds. I so want to do that one.

 

[Mike Jackson]

Yeah, the focus seems to be ratios only.

BTW, Mike, I'm jealous of the course you did in Leeds. I so want to do that one.

It was an incredibly interesting course. When you see how easy it is to get a lethal build up of CO it makes you much more aware of the safety aspects of the job. It's probably also one of the most dangerous courses that a gas engineer can go on. There is no way to simulate the build up of CO so it is all done with live scenarios. You have to check an appliance with an analyser to work out where the CO is emerging from the appliance. All the time CO is spilling into the room you are in. You have an instructor with you and if you take too long to discover where the CO is spilling from the instructor will halt the training scenario/assessment evacuate the training module, isolate the gas and turn on the giant extract fans to clear the air.

The scenario which shocked me the most was the one with the grill. The scenario was set up as a kitchen containing a cooker with eye level grill. The injector on the grill was linted up and a plate placed on the vent on top of the grill. This scenario produced enough CO to be lethal in less than ten minutes.

I've never used the course in anger but wanted the qualification as I was doing quality inspections and safety checks on other peoples work and I wanted to take my qualifications one step up from the normal.

 

[CMairiD]

Were you working for BG at the time you did the course?

 

[Mike Jackson]

No I was a partner in the family business and we were doing a lot of work for housing associations and I was dealing with quality inspections for them as they didn't have any one gas qualified on their direct staff. All the guys on the course with me were either BG or Corgi inspectors.

 

[Mike Jackson]

I think after I did the course I was one of only 3 in the country not employed by BG or Corgi.

 

[AWheating]

Remaha
Viessman
The new Worcester Bosch (model name escapes me)
Plus a few others!

cool, so about 5% of the current domestic market then. So if you dont fit one of these boilers and you only install and not service then you in theroy do not need an analyser.

 

[tamz]

cool, so about 5% of the current domestic market then. So if you dont fit one of these boilers and you only install and not service then you in theroy do not need an analyser.

Not at the moment but they are planning on changing the GSIUR regs to make them compulsory.

 

[kirkgas]

Not at the moment but they are planning on changing the GSIUR regs to make them compulsory.

i think the best they could do was make it mandatory to have access to an analyser when you need it (although suppose thats what it is now) it will be restrictive practice to make a kitchen fitter use his hard earned to buy something he clearly doesnt need to fit hobs, and TBH a guy who fits OF fires could argue and win every time that an analyser isnt needed to confirm the safety of the appliance, as us oldies have been making informed technical decisions on the safety of these appliance for (what seems like) hundreds of years and havent killed anyone yet

 

[tamz]

I know that Kirk but some gov dept has got a bee in their bunnet for reducing carbon monoxide incidents even further and they think this is the way to do it. Compulsory servicing tied in through home insurers would do more to help that.