Page 24 - Gi flipbook - October 2018

HOME SAFE HOME

GAS SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE

IN SOCIAL HOUSING

Stewart Davison, Business Development Director at
Gas Tag, discusses the ways in which housing authorities
are ensuring the safety of their tenants

as Tag has a stated other external bodies.
mission to make the UK While 71 per cent of respondents
the gas safety capital of thought gas safety was being handled
the world – a lofty goal and was at the front of most people’s
G perhaps, but one that minds, particularly post-Grenfell, there
drives everything that we do. was a feeling amongst those surveyed
As part of our long-term strategy, that the industry remains in a state of
we embarked upon a research study self-denial and many still take comfort
to identify attitudes and approaches in ‘technical compliance’.
to gas safety and compliance within This is echoed in the Hackitt Review,
the UK social housing sector. published following the Grenfell
The main purpose of this research tragedy. One of the key points
was to identify clear drivers to adopt highlighted in the interim findings is
technology in improving efficiency in that we need to “move away from a
compliance for gas. culture of doing the minimum
The survey was carried out by CIL required for compliance”, to one of
Management Consultants, who spoke taking ownership and responsibility for A participant in the survey said: “We
to 162 professionals from housing delivering safe homes. have a breaking and entering policy,
associations, local authorities and gas Compliance and safety do not but there is a lot of work that goes on
industry experts across the UK. necessarily go hand in hand. An before that. We have to make sure all
Most respondents either worked association can be technically of the paperwork is correct and in
in senior management, property compliant while also having potential order before we get to that point.”
management or administration, or issues with gas safety. Another challenge is that
worked for housing associations of contractors and landlords may
a range of sizes. KEY CHALLENGE REMAINS operate different systems to track
‘NO ACCESS’ compliance. This means a delay in
Key findings: It should come as no surprise to those information flows and landlords
■ Compliance and safety are veterans in the industry to see that lacking visibility of work carried out.
not the same housing associations report clear Thirty-five per cent of those
■ Key challenges remain problems related to gas safety surveyed are using paper-based
■ The definition of ‘accountability’ compliance, particularly around the records, while 14 per cent are in the
is inconsistent subject of access to properties. process of switching to electronic.
■ Reactive vs. proactive One respondent stated: “At the Over half of the associations that we
moment the key challenge is gaining spoke to have switched to an
COMPLIANCE AND SAFETY access. You have to build in a electronic solution. Registered
ARE NOT THE SAME timeframe before the gas safety providers (RPs) consider the greatest
Gas safety is rightly at the top of their certificate expires, which complicates benefits to using an electronic
agenda. But there is a worrying trend things when you can’t gain access.” solution are centralised records, a
towards compliance for the sake of it, The administrative burden this creates clear audit trail and verification of the
which in some cases can be little more is huge and quite costly. engineer’s work.
than a box-ticking exercise. Eighty-nine per cent of those
What we’re seeing is that many surveyed said no access is their WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE?
associations still take comfort in being biggest challenge. This is compounded Worryingly some respondents
technically compliant. In other words, by the significant admin costs that displayed an inconsistent perception
as far as they are concerned, they are come with managing access and of ‘accountability’ and questions over
carrying out the necessary tasks to checking gas certificates are accurate who is ultimately accountable for
satisfy the housing regulator and and up to date for all properties. overall gas compliance. Is it the

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