77,332 Jan-Dec 2020

Required readingFrom essential gas safety information to essential business information, Registered Gas Engineer is recognised and acknowledged as the industry’s leading and must-read magazine.

We’re Gas Safe Register’s official magazine and we publish in print every month to make sure that every single registered business in the UK stays up to date with all the news, and how it affects them and their daily work.

We listen to what our readers tell us they need: accurate, unbiased and essential information.

Our increased digital presence – online and via our free app – makes sure that they don’t miss any essential guidance to help keep their customers safe – and their business flourishing.

Registered Gas Engineer

Media information 2021

Issue 136 July 2020

GasGasREGISTERED THE ONLY OFFICIAL INDUSTRY PUBLICATION

Technical Correct positioning of a chimney/flue terminal

WIN: A Knipex ultimate tool bundle and rucksack

HyDeploy gears up for the next stage

Technical Bulletin 157 Combustion checks on appliances using up to 20% hydrogen blend

01_Cover.indd 101_Cover.indd 1 24/06/2020 10:0824/06/2020 10:08

Biggest circulation in the plumbing and heating industry

Tool theft How you can help stop it happening to you – and what to do if it does

Electrical safety Changes on the way for gas engineers

WIN Salamander’s new HomeBoost pump and kit

GasREGISTERED THE ONLY OFFICIAL INDUSTRY PUBLICATION

Issue 131 February 2020

Fighting back against mental health problems

01_Cover_FEB 20.indd 1 27/01/2020 12:36

Issue 134 May 2020

GasGasREGISTERED THE ONLY OFFICIAL INDUSTRY PUBLICATION

Electrical safety Your questions answered on the new requirements

Coronavirus crisis How are gas engineers and the industry responding?

Water efficiency: Chemicals, deaeration and equipment

COVID-19: Guidance and support for gas engineers

01_Cover_May20.indd 101_Cover_May20.indd 1 21/04/2020 10:3121/04/2020 10:31

Issue 133 April 2020

GasGasREGISTERED THE ONLY OFFICIAL INDUSTRY PUBLICATION

Manual handling How to protect your back when you’re at work

Open Channel Your questions on RIDDOR answered in first live event

Competition: Win a best practice kit from Adey

What should I report under RIDDOR?

Why should I report?

What kind of information should I give? What

happens afterwards?

01_Cover_inProgress copy.indd 101_Cover_inProgress copy.indd 1 23/03/2020 10:3323/03/2020 10:33

Issue 137 August 2020

GasGasREGISTERED THE ONLY OFFICIAL INDUSTRY PUBLICATION

Gas Safety Week It’s nearly here – are you ready?

WIN: Vaillant’s new sensoHOME control bundle

Heat networks How do they work, and how can they help the UK hit its zero-carbon target?

Technical Briefs: What you need

to know

77,332 Jan-Dec 2020

at least

6,000new engineers register

every year

92% work in domestic

repair, maintenance and improvement

21% work on new-build

properties

22% work with local

authority/housing associations

18% work on commercial/

industrial systems

74% engineers who would

choose RGE if they could receive only 1 trade

magazine*

70% engineers who value

RGE the most for technical information*

Now in its

12th year

64% are sole traders

131,733registered gas

engineers

74% engineers who trust RGE to be the most accurate

and authoritative trade magazine*

The only

official registration magazine

*Source: Gas Safe Register quarterly engineers’ survey

recipients every month

77,332

About usReceived by every single Gas Safe registered business

24%11%

11%

8%

5%

8%

1%

<1%

<1%

5% 9%

9%

9%

(Channel Islands)

Source: Gas Safe registration data

77,332 Jan-Dec 2020

Digital audience summary

1. RGE monthly print edition

2. Digital edition on Gas Safe

Register website

3. Issuu

digital edition**

4. Free mobile app

5. Website

visitors***

Named recipients per month

77,332*

Additional downloads per annum

21,168

Additional reads per annum

10,560Users per annum

40,710Users

18,000+

Data less than 1 year old

100%Data less

than 1 year old

100%

Average read time

6mins

20secs

Page views per annum

87,249

*Provisional ABC 2020, subject to ratification**Launched November 2020*** 21 Dec 2019-20 Dec 2020

77,332 Jan-Dec 2020

Sales Director: Ian Carter 020 7183 1815 / 07780 678 121ian@rgemagazine.co.uk

Senior Sales ExecutiveMario Stanoytchev 020 7183 1815 / 020 3475 6813classified@rgemagazine.co.uk

Editor: Nicki Shearer editorial@registeredgasengineer.co.uk

Publisher: Peter McCreary publisher@registeredgasengineer.co.uk

Advertising Copy Deadline 15th of month preceding publicationAdvance booking by the 10th of preceding month

Advertising Rates DisplaySize Cost*Opening DPS £9,000DPS £7,000Cover Position £5,000Full Page £4,250Half Page £2,500Quarter Page £1,600

Recruitment/Training/ClassifiedSize Cost x1 Cost x3 Cost x6 Cost x12Quarter Page £1,875 £1,780 £1,485 £1,375Eighth Page £1,125 £1,085 £880 £790Sixteenth Page £650 £620 £520 £450SCC £95 £90 £85 £80

Inserts: Up to 20 grams – £150 per ‘000All costs exclude VAT. Agency commission: 10% to recognised agencies.*Series discounts by negotiation.

Mechanical Data High-resolution PDF, with all images and fonts embedded and all colours CMYK

Advertising SizesFull page type area 270mm x 186mmFull page bleed 297mm x 210mm plus 3mm all roundHalf page (horizontal) 131mm (h) x 186mm (w)Half page (vertical) 270mm (h) x 90mm (w)Quarter page 131mm (h) x 90mm (w) ACS Advertising 1/8 page 90mm (w) x 65mm (h) 1/16 page 44mm (w) x 65mm (h)1/32 page 44mm (w) x 31mm (h)

App Advertising Sizes Tablet 728 x 90pxPhone 320 x 50px

Rates & specifications

77,332 Jan-Dec 2020

InformationOpening For all advertising enquiries, email: Sales Director Ian Carter at: ian@rgemagazine.co.uk or call: 020 7183 1815 / 07780 678 121.For all press enquiries and editorial information, email editor Nicki Shearer at:editorial@registeredgasengineer.co.ukRegistered Gas Engineer, The Team, 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ

OnlineFor the latest news and jobs, go to: www.registeredgasengineer.co.uk We can carry a leaderboard (728x90) or MPU (300x250) @ £350+VAT per month. More than 10,000 engineers use the RGE App every month to access a mobile feed of news, jobs and essential technical updates. It also has a useful archive of previous RGE issues – essential reading on the move. All RGE advertisers feature across the engineers’ section of Gas Safe Register’s website and the RGE App.

Features and contacts

Forward Features 2021

January Opening Legislative, Normative and Informative Documents List; Low-carbon heating

February Power-flushing; Technical Briefs

March Controls; Underfloor heating

April Legislative, Normative and Informative Documents List; Tools; Pumps & circulators

May Mobile catering; Solar thermal; Water efficiency, storage and treatment

June Pipework; Heat pumps; LPG

July Legislative, Normative and Informative Documents List; Commercial catering and interlocks; Domestic gas cookers

August Annual ACS directory; Biomass

September Gas Safety Week; Back to basics; Your business; Controls

October Legislative, Normative and Informative Documents List; Boilers; Radiators and heat emitters

November CO awareness; Water heating

December Flue gas analysers

*Please note that planned forward features are a guide only and are subject to change.

77,332 Jan-Dec 2020

Multiple formats

REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | RIDDOR

22 May 2020 www.gassaferegister.co.uk 23

The first Open Channel from Gas Safe Register event recently was on the topic of RIDDOR. Following the live Q&A with senior representatives from Gas Safe Register and HSE, here’s Registered Gas Engineer’s round-up of what you should know and do.

What is RIDDOR?The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences (RIDDOR) 2013 is a legal requirement that covers mandatory reporting to HSE of workplace injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences. The law requires employers, self-employed people, and other people in control of work premises to report and keep records of:• Work-related accidents that

cause death• Work-related accidents that

cause certain serious injuries (reportable injuries)

• Dangerous occurrences with the potential to cause harm.

There are special requirements for gas incidents.

Why report?It’s the law. The regulations spell out the dangerous gas fittings that gas engineers must report under RIDDOR Regulation 11(2). The report informs the enforcing authorities, via HSE, about potential and actual deaths, injuries, occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences, so they can identify where and how risks arise, and whether they need to be investigated.

This helps the enforcing authorities to target their work and provide advice about how to avoid work-related deaths, injuries, ill-health and accidental loss.

What is reportable?Gas fittings are defined in the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998 as amended, and include pipework, regulators,

Dangerous gas fittings in a rented property caused by a lack of maintenance are not reportable under RIDDOR. However, you can send the details to HSE as a concern and HSE will then decide whether to investigate further. If a landlords’ gas safety record check has not been carried out, this can be reported to HSE.

Reporting poor or illegal gas workWork that is poor but is not RIDDOR reportable can be reported to Gas Safe Register or via HSE as a concern. Where the work has been carried out by a Gas Safe registered business, the Register will investigate and an inspection on competence grounds is likely to be triggered automatically for the registered business that carried out the work. Illegal gas work will be investigated by Gas Safe Register.

meters and appliances. Where a gas fitting, or a flue or ventilation used in connection with it could, in your opinion, be so dangerous that it could kill someone, make someone unconscious or cause them to be taken to hospital, it must be reported.

RIDDOR states: Registered gas engineers must provide details of any gas appliances or fittings that they consider to be dangerous, to such an extent that people could die, lose consciousness or require hospital treatment. The danger could be due to the design, construction, installation, modification or servicing of that appliance or fitting, which could cause:• An accidental leakage of gas• Incomplete combustion of gas,

or• Inadequate removal of products

of the combustion of gas.In general, what this usually means is situations that would be deemed as being Immediately Dangerous (ID) under the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure (GIUSP) would be reportable.

The GIUSP (IGEM/G/11) gives a lot of guidance, including:• How to risk assess to classify a

dangerous situation• How to deal with dangerous

situations/installations correctly• The RIDDOR reporting process• A list of dangerous situations

and how they would be classified.

If you repair a dangerous gas fitting, you must still report it under RIDDOR.

What if I need to fix the installation immediately on safety grounds?Ideally, you should leave the installation intact as evidence. But if this is not possible or if the customer wants it back on, take

as many photos and gather as much documentation as possible before you make safe. If required, HSE then can take a statement from you to support the photographs and any other evidence.

What if I’m not sure?Use the GIUSP to risk assess the installation. Following the GIUSP should give you a clear indication of whether you should report under RIDDOR, but if you’re still unsure whether it meets the criteria, you can call Gas Safe’s Technical Helpline and talk the situation over in order to help you make your mind up.

Gas Safe Register confirmed during the Open Channel event, that you can call the Register to validate your assessment with its Technical Team or with your local Gas Safe inspector. However, Gas Safe Register will not classify the unsafe situation: this must be done by the engineer on site.

What must gas engineers report under RIDDOR 11(2)?You must provide details of any gas fittings, including appliances and flues or ventilation used with the appliances, that you consider to be dangerous, by reason of their design, construction, installation, modification or incorrect servicing, which could result in:• An accidental leakage of gas• Incomplete combustion of gas,

or• Inadequate removal of products

of the combustion of gas.It’s helpful to provide as much evidence as you can and clearly set out what is dangerous about the installation, construction or design, and the appliance itself.

Photographs are always helpful, so please take them if you can. Is there any paperwork that might provide information about who carried out the work? You must report via HSE’s website, and within 14 days of the incident.

What does HSE do with my report?When you submit a report, it will be ‘triaged’ initially by HSE gas officers. It’s important to note that if you report work that has been carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, then the information will be passed to the Register to investigate; if not, HSE gas officers will check whether they need more information or whether there is enough to start investigating.

Reports of dangerous work involving commercial organisations and catering establishments will be passed to the appropriate local authority for investigation.

Why don’t I hear how my report is being followed up?HSE has received more than 13,000 gas RIDDORs in the past five years*. When you report, you will receive an acknowledgement from HSE, but due to the number of reports it receives, and the time it can take to carry out a full investigation, it’s unlikely that you will be updated on progress. However, HSE gas officers may contact you if they need any more information.* For the five-year period 2014/15-2018/19,

13,163 dangerous gas fittings were notified

under Regulation 11(2).

What records should I keep?You must keep a record of any reportable injury, over-three-day injury, disease or dangerous occurrence. You can print and/or save a copy of the online form. A copy of the form will be emailed to the email address you provide.

If you do not keep a copy of the online form, your records must include the date and method of reporting; the date, time and place of the event; personal details of those involved; and a brief description of occurrence.

What is NOT reportable?Gas installations that are dangerous solely because they have not been maintained are NOT reportable under RIDDOR. Dangerous non-gas-safety defects are generally not reportable – such as damaged or inappropriate electrical connections and hot water cylinders without pressure relief.

You can report a concern about certain gas work that is not reportable under RIDDOR through HSE and Gas Safe Register.

How to reporthttps://notifications.hse.gov.uk/riddorforms/DangerousGasFitting

Report lack of landlord’s gas safety record check:https://extranet.hse.gov.uk/lfserver/external/lgsr1

Further resources• www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk/engineer/resource-hub/raise-a-

competence-concern/• www.hse.gov.uk/contact/concerns.htm• www.igem.org.uk – you can find the GIUSP by searching for

Standard G11A• www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk/reportillegal

What is RIDDOR 11(1)?RIDDOR 11(1) is the duty on the gas conveyor, importer, supplier or filler of LPG refillable containers. If someone has died or lost consciousness, or has been taken to hospital, then the gas conveyor needs to report it too, under RIDDOR 11(1). The majority of situations that you will come across in terms of dangerous gas fittings are reportable under Regulation 11(2).

✘ This lack of maintenance is

not reportable UNLESS spillage is occurring if O/F or Leakage if R/S

✔Boiler flue terminating inside a property: Immediately Dangerous and must be reported under RIDDOR

✔The theft of gas, no governor, and incorrect jointing method is a disaster waiting to happen: Immediately Dangerous and must be reported

✘ This tangle of pipework and

wiring is Immediately Dangerous but not reportable

✘ At Risk but not Immediately

Dangerous or reportable

ExamplesThese photos, sent to us by Dean Pullman for the Good, the Bad and the Ugly in this month’s edition, are some good examples of situations that are reportable – as well as those that are not.

Not reportable under RIDDOR

Reportable under RIDDOR

SHOULD I REPORT IT?

RIDDOR: A GAS ENGINEER’S GUIDE

REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | YOUR BUSINESS

26 February 2020 www.gassaferegister.co.uk 27

The tool theft epidemicTool theft is the number one financial concern to tradespeople, according to recent research. How can gas engineers stop it happening to them – and what can they do if they do fall victim? Registered Gas Engineer reports.

More than one in three tradespeople has fallen

victim to tool theft. The crime has reached seemingly epidemic proportions, and hardly a day passes when we don’t hear of someone having their livelihood wrecked by this callous crime.

Tradespeople have had enough: various petitions have been set up, calling on the government come down harder on thieves and for tougher regulation on selling second-hand tools – including #noVANber, created by gas engineer Peter Booth in late 2018.

Peter said at the time: “The crime of stealing tools from a tradesperson attracts the same sentence as stealing anything from a car. But when you steal from a tradesperson, you’re stealing someone’s livelihood and their ability to work. That’s what I want to change. We need a proper deterrent.”

While the petitions did receive tens of thousands of signatures,

they fell short of the minimum 100,000 required to trigger a debate on the topic in Parliament.

The government did respond to Peter’s petition, however, saying: “The government takes these crimes very seriously. There are robust penalties in law to deal with theft and we are supporting the police to explore what more can be done to tackle stolen goods markets.

“The government understands the distress and disruption that this type of crime causes and the effect it has on victims, including the impact on people who rely on the tools of their trade to earn a living.

“The government is clear that these crimes, when they take place, should be reported to the police, so that they can be investigated and, where appropriate, the perpetrators taken through the courts and given appropriate sentences.

“The Theft Act 1968 provides a maximum penalty of seven

years’ imprisonment for this type of offence. In addition, the Act provides sufficient powers to tackle the threat of people going equipped to steal, with maximum penalties of three years’ imprisonment available.”

PreventionWhile there are no easy solutions, there are steps that gas engineers can take to help reduce the risk of theft from their vehicles. Insurers Simply Business and Trade Direct recommend the following measures:• Make sure the doors and

windows of your van are all properly locked whenever you leave it unattended – even if you’re just popping into a merchant. Thieves could be waiting to target your van

• Remove all tools from your van overnight

• Make sure you’ve researched any design flaws in your van that could make it easier to break into

• Consider extra security measures such as a deadlock, and don’t forget to fit an alarm

• Installing a prominent wheel lock might give a thief reason to pause and consider what other security measures you’ve taken

• Park cleverly, somewhere with good lighting and close to a wall, preventing easy access to van doors, and check whether there’s CCTV

• Invest in a strongbox for your van

• Consider a motion detection camera that alerts your phone if someone breaks into your van – and provides video of them in the act.

• Don’t forget to mark your tools forensically or with a GPS tool tracker, so that you stand a better chance of recovering them if they’re found

• Keep the receipts for your tools securely away from your van. It’s a good idea to take photos of them and record their serial numbers and the make and model.

Source: Simply Business survey of 1,000 tradespeople

If your tools are stolen, you must report it to the police and get a crime reference number so that you can make a claim from your insurer.

Williams & Co is so determined to help gas engineers whose tools are stolen that the trade-only merchant has set up Tool Angel, a free two-week loan of critical tools to help keep businesses going immediately after the theft.

The kit, which comes in its own bag, includes a flue gas analyser, jigsaw, multitool, core drill, torch and AH batteries – as well as many other power tools.

When a Williams & Co customer suffers from tool theft, they should provide the National Customer Service Team with the crime number and a drop-off location. The merchant will provide them with a kit worth

more than £2,300 within its normal delivery times, or the same day for many postcodes.

The gas engineer can use the armoured, secure tool box, a range of quality tools and analyser free for two weeks. At the end of that period, Williams & Co will collect the tools free. The gas

engineer can choose to buy their own new kit at the end of the loan period at a 15 per cent discount. A year’s interest-free credit is also available, helping to spread the cost of replacing expensive tool sets.

Managing director Ray Stafford says: “Every day we hear of another of our customers whose van has been broken into, and whose tools have been stolen. The devastating effects of tool crime are not limited to the value of the tools themselves, as there is also the damage to the

vehicle, days of disruption to planned work and the reputational risk as valued client’s projects are delayed.

“There is a psychological impact on small businesses and

self-employed individuals that should not be underestimated. With the support of partners including Makita, Kane and Armorgard, we have established Tool Angel, a service that provides an immediate secure set of loan power tools and a top-of-the-range flue gas analyser to keep their business viable in the first weeks after the crime occurs.”

Ray adds: “We can relieve the impact that tool theft has on our customers’ livelihood and help them get back on the tools – fast. With our Tool Angel service, our customers can get back on their feet, keep their business and recover from a hugely negative experience that affects far too many tradespeople across the country.” www.williams.uk.com/tool-angel

“There is a phsycological impact on small business and self-employed individuals that

should not be underestimated.”

£870average lost earnings because of tool theft

72%of tradespeople have

to take time off work after their tools have been stolen

£1,200average

insurance claim

37%

of tradespeople have had their

tools stolen

65%

of tradespeople know someone who has had

their tools stolen

£2,135average value of tools stolen

Help for when the worst happens

08 May 2020 www.gassaferegister.co.uk 09

REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | BUSINESS SUPPORT

The government’s restrictions on movement and businesses

across the UK in March as part of its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic have had a major impact on people’s work. Many businesses have implemented working from home procedures for their employees, while others have temporarily closed.

For gas engineers, the advice has been more complex. The government is keen for the construction industry to continue while workers abide by social distancing measures. Indeed, BEIS Secretary Alok Sharma has publicly paid tribute, thanking the industry for its “critical contribution to the resilience of our nation”.

The government has made it clear that gas engineers who are asked to carry out emergency

repairs on a property – such as repairing a broken boiler – can continue to do so.

But there’s no doubt that the lockdown is placing a financial strain on many families – particularly in the plumbing and heating industry, where a large percentage of workers are self-employed.

The government has created a package of financial measures to help support employees and businesses through this disruption. Not all measures are up and running yet but most should be in the coming weeks.

Self-Employed Income Support SchemeAnyone who is self-employed but cannot work during the pandemic will be able to claim a taxable grant worth 80 per cent of their

average monthly profits over the past three years, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month.

The scheme is open to anyone with trading profits of up to £50,000, who is already registered as self-employed and who has submitted a tax return for the 2018/19 year. For those who have less than three years’ tax returns, HMRC will calculate an average based on the information available.

This money will available in early June and will be backdated to 1 March. Those who are eligible will be contacted by HMRC, and must then complete a form before the backdated grant is paid directly into their bank account.

The scheme will run for three months initially, but will be extended if necessary.

The Coronavirus Job Retention SchemeEmployers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus can access support to pay 80 per cent of the salary of any permanent employee, to help them retain their employees and protect the economy. This is available to all UK businesses until the end of June, backdated to 1 March 2020.

Employers must designate their affected employees as furloughed workers, then submit information to HMRC on their earnings through an online portal. HMRC will reimburse the business with a grant covering 80 per cent of the total wage cost, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. The scheme is not available to anyone on a zero-hours contract.

Government unleashes business support during COVID-19 outbreakRegistered Gas Engineer has collated all the available information about support that the government is providing to self-employed people and smaller businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak.

>

FAQs for self-employed peopleWhat happens to individuals whose 2018/19 profits are very different from what they would have expected to make this year?The government can only act on the most recently available data. This is from the 2018/19 tax year. To try to provide the most accurate possible estimate of self-employed income, the government will look at average profits of the tax years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19, or at continuous periods of self-employment during this time. Is this grant subject to tax?Yes. Individuals will pay income tax and National Insurance on any payments received through this scheme as they are replacement for income in line with normal practice for benefits or grants that replace income. The grant is recognised as income for the purposes of Universal Credit and Tax Credits and may impact the amount that claimants are entitled to. What should self-employed people do while they wait to be paid? In the interim, self-employed individuals may be eligible for Universal Credit. Further information on how to access this support is on page 10.1 Why is this scheme limited to those who with trading profits below £50,000? For many, higher incomes might mean higher losses at this time.In order to target support at those most in need, the government has chosen to cap this scheme.

For all those with trading profits of £50,000 and over, the mean self-employment income is £186,000 and the mean total income is £217,000.

Those with higher average incomes are more likely to have access to savings and other resources. They may also still be able to access support through the temporary Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

Why does this scheme not cover small businesses that are incorporated? Self-employed individuals who are owner-managers and pay themselves a salary through PAYE will be eligible for support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Further details on page 102.

SMEs can also access support through the temporary Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. This supports SMEs with access to loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and asset finance of up to £5 million and for up to six years.

The new Self-Employment Income Support Scheme is open to anyone who reports trading profits through income tax self-assessment. Self-employed individuals who work through a company do not report their trading profits in this way. What about self-employed people on Universal Credit? Why should they benefit twice?The government announced measures that can be quickly and effectively operationalised. DWP and HMRC are experiencing high demand and the government has to prioritise the safety and stability of the benefits system and tax system overall.

The Self Employed Income Support Scheme will be treated as earnings in Universal Credit in the same way as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Universal Credit is designed to adjust the amount of benefits you receive in response to changes in your income.

Unemployed people will benefit from the package of welfare measures announced by the Chancellor. These include increasing the Universal Credit standard allowance by £1,000 a year for the next 12 months, and nearly £1 billion of additional support for private renters through increases in housing benefit and Universal Credit. Further information on how to access this support is on page 103.

Source: https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/self-employment-income-support-scheme-faqs/

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