corgi services limited december 2009 - peterborough trevor batt technical safety manager

CORGI Services Limited


December 2009 - Peterborough

Trevor Batt

Technical Safety Manager

CORGI Services Limited04/19/23

Audit Commission Short Notice Inspections


Landlords have specific duties for managing gas safety under:

• Health and Safety at Work Act

• Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations

• They are also answerable to the Audit Commission inspection regime in England

Landlords have specific duties for managing gas safety under:

• Health and Safety at Work Act

• Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations

• They are also answerable to the Audit Commission inspection regime in England


Short Notice Inspection

• The Audit Commission have trialled short notice inspections for HA’s in England,

• Are being implemented for ALMOs and Council’s in 2009

• Gas servicing will not “automatically” feature, but inspections will concentrate on “areas of

weakness” so it could be any part of the housing service – might concentrate on just one area of the service

• The Audit Commission have trialled short notice inspections for HA’s in England,

• Are being implemented for ALMOs and Council’s in 2009

• Gas servicing will not “automatically” feature, but inspections will concentrate on “areas of

weakness” so it could be any part of the housing service – might concentrate on just one area of the service


Short notice inspections

• October 2008 – April 2009

• Audit Commission conducted 13 Short notice inspections

• Gas safety found to be the weakest area

• Average score of 0.66 out of 3 across three inspections focusing on gas servicing

• Gas servicing now automatically inspected in all short notice repairs inspections

Short notice inspections

• October 2008 – April 2009

• Audit Commission conducted 13 Short notice inspections

• Gas safety found to be the weakest area

• Average score of 0.66 out of 3 across three inspections focusing on gas servicing

• Gas servicing now automatically inspected in all short notice repairs inspections


Reasons for Failure

• Low rates of access – e.g. below 96%

• Properties with ‘no access’ for 2 or 3 years

• Incomplete records, poor paperwork & IT

• Little or no publicity of the dangers

• Unclear procedures with no named responsible officer

• Protracted and lengthy procedures

• Ad hoc approach (pepper potting / left to the contractor)

• Reliance on ‘forced entry’ to gain access

Reasons for Failure

• Low rates of access – e.g. below 96%

• Properties with ‘no access’ for 2 or 3 years

• Incomplete records, poor paperwork & IT

• Little or no publicity of the dangers

• Unclear procedures with no named responsible officer

• Protracted and lengthy procedures

• Ad hoc approach (pepper potting / left to the contractor)

• Reliance on ‘forced entry’ to gain access


Void repairs

• How quickly, and to what standard, does the organisation complete repairs to its empty properties?

• Has a challenging re-let standard, to which service users have contributed, and which is available to tenants and prospective tenants before they view the property.

• Carries out repairs and safety checks to empty properties quickly and efficiently, to its own re-let standard. As a result, there is a high level of service user satisfaction with the standard at which homes are re-let.

• May have a lettable standard, but it is not systematically used to ensure new service users move into homes of a consistently good standard.

• Provides inconsistent advice to advise prospective tenants of the re-let standard before they view the property.

• May carry out safety checks, but service users do not automatically receive copies of safety certificates.

Gas servicing

• Does the organisation comply with Gas Safety Regulations?

• Annually services and carries out safety checks to all internal gas appliances and carries out all necessary repairs and replacements promptly.

• Uses innovative ways to gain access where service users refuse it, using forced entry as a last resort and only after taking appropriate legal advice.

• Annually services gas appliances in accordance with statutory requirements.

• May rely on possession action or other less satisfactory remedies to gain access where service users refuse it.

Kloe No3 – www.audit-commission.gov.uk


Any of the following areas may have an effect on your ability to demonstrate that you are complying with the Gas Safety Regulations:

• Contractor Selection

• Void properties & mutual exchanges

• Tenants own appliances

• Work Records

• Gas Escapes

• Access Policy

• Personnel

• Quality Control

Any of the following areas may have an effect on your ability to demonstrate that you are complying with the Gas Safety Regulations:

• Contractor Selection

• Void properties & mutual exchanges

• Tenants own appliances

• Work Records

• Gas Escapes

• Access Policy

• Personnel

• Quality Control


Contractor Selection

Key Areas;

• Checks for competencies of contractors/operatives

• Do you hold details of registration and categories of work?

• Can they facilitate evening and weekend appointments?

• Do they have a clear work allocation process?

Key Areas;

• Checks for competencies of contractors/operatives

• Do you hold details of registration and categories of work?

• Can they facilitate evening and weekend appointments?

• Do they have a clear work allocation process?


Void properties

Key Areas;

• Is the gas supply capped or disc’d whilst property is empty?

• Is there a policy regarding appliances left by tenants?

• Are pre-checks undertaken by personnel with awareness of gas issues?

• Do you record the issue of a copy of the current LGSR (CP12s) to the incoming tenant?

• Is the turn on check carried out in the presence of the new tenant?

Key Areas;

• Is the gas supply capped or disc’d whilst property is empty?


• Are pre-checks undertaken by personnel with awareness of gas issues?

• Do you record the issue of a copy of the current LGSR (CP12s) to the incoming tenant?

• Is the turn on check carried out in the presence of the new tenant?


Mutual ExchangesKey Areas;

• Is one person given responsibility for ensuring gas safety in cases of mutual exchange?


• Are property checks undertaken by personnel with awareness of gas issues?

• How do you issue and record receipt of current LGSR (CP12s) to each tenant?

• Does your contractor play an integral part in the exchange process?

Key Areas;

• Is one person given responsibility for ensuring gas safety in cases of mutual exchange?


• Are property checks undertaken by personnel with awareness of gas issues?

• How do you issue and record receipt of current LGSR (CP12s) to each tenant?

• Does your contractor play an integral part in the exchange process?


Tenants own appliances

Key Areas;

• Do you have an up to date asset register of tenant owned appliances?

• Is there a policy for the installation of tenants appliances?

• Are proactive checks made following installations?

• Do you receive commissioning certificates for appliances?

• Are tenants made specifically aware that the CP12 service does not test their appliance

Key Areas;

• Do you have an up to date asset register of tenant owned appliances?

• Is there a policy for the installation of tenants appliances?

• Are proactive checks made following installations?

• Do you receive commissioning certificates for appliances?

• Are tenants made specifically aware that the CP12 service does not test their appliance


Work Records

Key Areas;

• Are work records received for all gas work carried out?

• Are work records received checked for correct completion at point of receipt?

• Do landlord records meet current legal requirements?

• Do you have a specific process for display/issue of LGSR (CP12s) in sheltered housing

accommodation?

• Do you have current and previous LGSR (CP12s)?

Key Areas;

• Are work records received for all gas work carried out?

• Are work records received checked for correct completion at point of receipt?

• Do landlord records meet current legal requirements?

• Do you have a specific process for display/issue of LGSR (CP12s) in sheltered housing

accommodation?

• Do you have current and previous LGSR (CP12s)?


Gas Escapes/Fumes

Key Areas;

• Are all relevant staff aware of procedure for dealing with reports?

• Is there a checklist for telephone staff to relay to callers?

• Are all reports recorded in a recognised format?

• Are all reports relayed to the gas supplier by your staff?

• Is a reference number recorded on every occasion?

Key Areas;

• Are all relevant staff aware of procedure for dealing with reports?

• Is there a checklist for telephone staff to relay to callers?

• Are all reports recorded in a recognised format?

• Are all reports relayed to the gas supplier by your staff?

• Is a reference number recorded on every occasion?


Access Policy

Key Areas;

• Is servicing approached on a structured basis with a clear procedure for advising tenants in advance?

• Is there a clear handover from contractor to landlord?

• Are steps recorded?

• Are front line staff involved in the Access process?

• Is a personal visit made to the property?

• Is there a defined route to legal measures?

Key Areas;

• Is servicing approached on a structured basis with a clear procedure for advising tenants in advance?

• Is there a clear handover from contractor to landlord?

• Are steps recorded?

• Are front line staff involved in the Access process?

• Is a personal visit made to the property?

• Is there a defined route to legal measures?


Personnel

Key Areas;

• Does gas safety awareness form part of your induction programme?

• Do you have a regime of regular gas safety update training?

• Have relevant staff had specialised training in verification of LGSR (CP12s?)

• Are staff aware of symptoms of CO poisoning?

• Are frontline staff aware of basic aspects of gas safety?

Key Areas;

• Does gas safety awareness form part of your induction programme?

• Do you have a regime of regular gas safety update training?

• Have relevant staff had specialised training in verification of LGSR (CP12s?)

• Are staff aware of symptoms of CO poisoning?

• Are frontline staff aware of basic aspects of gas safety?


Quality Control

Key Areas;

• Do you receive regular QC paperwork from your contractor?

• Is QC a set agenda item at progress meetings?

• Does QC include checks on paperwork completed by operatives?

• Does QC include all operatives and all appliance types?

• Are independent third party QC checks carried out?

Key Areas;

• Do you receive regular QC paperwork from your contractor?

• Is QC a set agenda item at progress meetings?

• Does QC include checks on paperwork completed by operatives?

• Does QC include all operatives and all appliance types?

• Are independent third party QC checks carried out?


CORGI | OverviewKey Areas;

• Policies and procedures for control of gas work

• Accountability designated to specific trained personnel

• Written procedures for clarity

• Records kept where necessary

• Staff awareness of gas safety issues key to success

• Good access rates and records of NA visits

Key Areas;

• Policies and procedures for control of gas work

• Accountability designated to specific trained personnel

• Written procedures for clarity

• Records kept where necessary

• Staff awareness of gas safety issues key to success

• Good access rates and records of NA visits


Gas Audits

Through working with RSLs CORGI Services know the Regulations and Benchmark for gas management processes

• One day on site gas audit

• Speak to key staff so they understand the requirements

• Verbal feedback throughout the process

• Written reports with recommendations

• Expert help is available should the need arise

Through working with RSLs CORGI Services know the Regulations and Benchmark for gas management processes

• One day on site gas audit

• Speak to key staff so they understand the requirements

• Verbal feedback throughout the process

• Written reports with recommendations

• Expert help is available should the need arise



1 Elmwood

Chineham Park

Crockford Lane

Basingstoke

Hants

RG24 8WG

www.trustcorgi.com

corgi services limited december 2009 - peterborough trevor batt technical safety manager

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