Letters

Intouch Please send your letters, which may be edited, to editorial@registeredgasengineer.co.uk.

Do gas safety records comply with GDPR?

I have been thinking about how GDPR/data protection affects CP12 landlords’ gas safety certificates. If a tenant moves out of a premises and a new tenant moves in six months after I have carried out an inspection, the letting agent would normally use that existing record for the new tenant, but the old tenant’s details are still on that certificate.

Does this break data protection [regulations] to give out the old personal details to the new tenant? It’s a bit like the DVLA not showing previous vehicle owner’s details.

If so, how do we get around this? Issue a fresh certificate per tenant or remove the tenant’s name from the record? Alan Thomas, Highland Gas Gas Safe Register replies: Regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) lists the requirements of information to be included on a landlord’s gas safety record (LGSR). These requirements are: (i) The date on which the appliance or flue was checked (ii) The address of the premises at which the appliance or flue is installed (iii) the name and address of the landlord of the premises (or, where appropriate, their agent) at which the appliance or flue is installed (iv) A description of and the location of each appliance or flue checked (v) Any safety defect identified (vi) Any remedial action taken; Guidance 36(1)–(2) Regulation 36(1)–(2) ACOP 36(1)–(2) Regulation 36(3)–(4) 1 Regulation 36(3) was amended by the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2018. 70 Safety in the installation and use of gas systems and appliances (vii) Confirmation that the check undertaken complies with the requirements of paragraph (9) below (viii) The name and signature of the individual carrying out the check, and (ix) The registration number with which that individual, or their employer, is registered with a body approved by the Executive for the purposes of regulation 3(3) of these Regulations.

It is not a requirement to record the tenant’s details when carrying out a landlord’s gas safety record check.

When recording anything other than these points, the responsible person should consider whether it is relevant and that it is stored and maintained in guidance with data protection and GDPR.

Guidance regarding data protection is outside the scope of Gas Safe Register, but you can find details of how to comply with the Data Protection Regulations and GDPR at:

www.gov.uk/data-protection

and www.registeredgas

engineer.co.uk/technical/ your-guide-to-gdpr/

Why is fast-track training allowed?

Why are training providers allowed to offer fast-track training? And why are the certifying bodies awarding certification to people who have clearly been fast-tracked with little work experience and knowledge?

I know of a training establishment that requires only 15 work-placement jobs to complete their portfolio – five cookers, fires and boilers. How can this possibly be enough proper work experience and vital skills to gain certification?

These training establishments are charging in the region of £8,000 for a six-month course, sometimes shorter. But it takes a lot longer than six months and 15 jobs in a portfolio to gain enough experience and knowledge to enter the gas industry and be able to work competently and safely.

What are students getting for their £8,000? Minimal training and experience and a guaranteed pass, by the look of it. Concerned gas engineer

If we do nothing, there won’t be a future

With regard to Graham Hawkes’ letter (November) that the UK should concentrate on cheap UK gas to help keep costs down and to be selfish like China and America: it’s incredibly short-sighted.

Green renewable energy is cheaper and quicker to produce and, in turn, will bring down energy costs and give us energy independence, along with cutting harmful emissions. I have a two-year-old boy: if something is not done now, there will not be much of a future for him. This is how we save lives around the world.

We must lead and set an example, whether others follow or not. Just because others do nothing does not mean we should too. For evil to succeed good men just have to do nothing. Dan Mitchell, Mitchells Plumbing and Heating