ADVICE ON CORGI REGISTRATION

Discussion in 'Plumbers' Talk' started by mario500, Mar 14, 2004.

  1. mario500

    mario500 New Member

    HI FELLA'S
    I qualified for ccn1 and all the main elements last september and of course want to become corgi registered..
    The problem is that I am a self employed plumber/ bathroom fitter so have no documented evidence to present to corgi.. I earn a good living doing what I do, as I only install luxury equipment and so charge a high premium for installation. The question I have for you guys is if I want to pursue working in the gas industry how can I get the documented evidence that corgi require? and is it even worth pursuing as I earn a good amount now? Corgi states that to work on gas for reward that you must be competent!! which of course I am as I take safety very seriously, but they don't make it easy to get corgi registered.. Some views and personal experiences about this matter would be much appreciated
     
  2. Pugley

    Pugley Member

    Last August CORGI revised the criteria for acceptance to become registered.

    You need:

    1. Evidence that you have the appropriate skills (either gas work or similar transferable skills)
    2. Evidence that you have carried out work on the type of appliances/pipework for which you wish to register.
    3. Work inspected and approved by another CORGI registered person who will sign and put his/her registration number on that work.
    4. Attended and passed ACS qualification for each of the categories on which you wish to work.

    This is all very simple if you work for an existing gas installation company who can pass you through some form of internal training and supervision.

    For the self employed, the approval criteria is very, very difficult to obtain and prove. Not to mention very costly!

    If you actually know a registered person who will take you under their wing and supervise/approve/inspect a range of jobs, then this may help with your pre registration meeting with the inspector.

    Of course the problem is that you should not be doing work unless you are registered or are being supervised by a registered person. So, a real "catch 22" - you cant register without experience and you cant get experience without being registered or working for a registered person!!!

    I can tell you that one of the first questions asked will be "cant you get the CORGI person who has approved your work so far to support your application"?? (you may have to face the fact that you may have been breaking the law for a number of years if you already have the required experience - so I suggest you might be very circumspect in that area)

    You could try contacting the CORGI registered people in your area from the website and ask if any will let you work for them, or if they could come out with you to supervise some work?

    You may be able to go and work for a CORGI registered company to get the required experience.

    You could try going back to your training centre and ask if any of their people could inspect work and give it their approval and endorsement?

    It may be useful to talk to someone in CORGI HQ and explain your situation. Ask what they think you could do to meet their registration criteria as a skilled but self employed operative?

    You will need to keep records of each job and ensure that each stage of the install/service complies with the ACS schedule from your course notes. Perhaps some before/during/after pictures as you follow procedures from let by/pressure testing/installation/commissioning etc.

    I suspect a similar shock awaits the self employed when regulation regarding electrical work finally passes into law!

    I wish you the very best of luck and would be keen to know your progress.
     
  3. mario500

    mario500 New Member

    Thanks Pugley for your valuable input, it is much appreciated.. I don't work on gas at all. Out of respect for corgi registered opperatives, I always decline when asked if I can service boilers etc..
    I know how hard it is to qualify and don't see the point in risking prosecution!!
    As you say it is a real catch 22 scenario and I feel a little let down by the course tutors for not making this new regulation clear as my elements exams were delayed until after the august deadline for no apparent reason.. Of course now with heinsight I can see that there must have been a rush for people to beat this deadline!!
    I am in a lucrative sector of this industry (luxury bathroom installation) but have to work very hard to sustain a good level of income.. Maybe it is worth staying in this side of the business as there seems to be much less hassle and hoops to jump through..
     
  4. Pugley

    Pugley Member

    I too earn a good proportion of my income from the installation of kitchens and bathrooms, which is why I decided to go through the long winded process of CORGI registration. It's difficult to install the whole range of kitchen equipment without going through 1st and second fix gas and electrical work without having the appropriate skills and qualifications.

    I would guess that if you have the skills to do this work for the upper end of the market whilst running your own business you are exactly the sort of person that CORGI should be inviting to join!

    I really think it is worth jumping through the correct hoops and building up your portfolio of experience. Otherwise, you will have wasted your time and money going through the ACS training courses. You are halfway there, you just need to team up with a registered person to complete the journey. You have little to lose and much to gain.
     

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