Covid-19

Safety of our customers and and staff will always be our number 1 priority at Abbey Boilers

Safety of our customers and and staff will always be our number 1 priority at Abbey Boilers

Safety at Abbey Boilers will always be our first priority . Throughout the pandemic we as an organisation have taken swift and immediate action to keep our customers and staff as safe as possible.

The changes that have been implemented were significant to our business at the start of the pandemic, both in terms of our operations and how our engineers operate in the field. We have been maintaining social distancing in our offices with reduced staff and levels of strict hygiene have been adhered to by our engineers on the roads who have been issued with correct and sufficient PPE.

We will continue this while we carry on emergency work for customers across the South East and West Sussex, including priority jobs for key worker staff.

We are slowly starting to see signs of companies planning gradual return to work, and slow introduction of employees back into the workplace. A gradual return will help maintain social distancing in early days and give companies enough time to require employees to fill out health assessments and get tested if necessary. Rest assured meticulous planning is in place and steps are being taken to ensure safety of both customers and employees.

Some of the big housebuilding companies like Taylor Wimpey will be starting to build again shortly and car firms such as Nissan and Jaguar Land Rover are preparing to resume production in their factories.

These are all positive signs for the economy and our amazing country. This does not mean battle against COVID-19, which is by no means close to ending yet.

The way we live and work will be quite different from what we are used to for many months to come or even longer. The Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty said during one of the recent government daily press conferences that social distancing will need to be in place for ‘some considerable time’.

If that is the case, the country and its business community have to be able to adapt. The health of the nation is, undoubtedly, the first priority, but having an active economy filled with businesses that create employment, follows a close second.

We know the lockdown as it is now cannot continue for the long term and there are reports that the pandemic has reached its peak and has levelled off, but the same time, we can’t risk ruining the hard work we have all put in to stop the virus spreading further with a second spike.

Therefore, we have to adapt and evolve, which is something entrepreneurial businesses in the UK have been doing for generations as we have at Abbey Boilers when we started fixing our first boiler all those years ago.

As a business that provides an essential service from workers that cannot work from home, we changed quickly. Times like this spur innovation and we implemented new ways of working that would keep our people safe, but also our customers as the majority of the time the only way we can carry out our work is to enter their homes.

We will continue to apply these processes for the foreseeable future as we return to providing more than emergency call out jobs.

We too will be looking forward to get back to normal working conditions in people’s homes and business premises as before.

But until then we have to together as a country beat this, only together can this be achieved.

Stay Safe!

Abbey Boilers

Gas safe and Covid-19

Gas safe and Covid-19

Gas Safe have released their latest guidance on Covid-19. For my information please go to their website.

Can gas engineers still work?
Given the restrictions that have been put in place in order to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus, it is essential that any registered businesses undertaking work still follow the guidelines in terms of:

  • Keeping a minimum of 2m apart from other people (who are not from your household)

  • Washing hands frequently

  • Wiping down all surfaces

  • Maintaining their Gas Safe registration

Full guidance on precautions to take to avoid transferring or contracting the virus can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19

And: www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings

This is based on current guidance from the UK Government, at 24th March 2020, and is subject to change as the pandemic situation progresses.

We also note that registered businesses should conduct their own assessment of the risks before entering any property, as with any other risk.

Can I still carry out a landlord gas safety check?
Landlords still have a legal duty to repair and maintain gas pipework, flues and appliances in a safe condition, to ensure an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue, and to keep a record of each safety check. The latest restrictions on leaving the home currently allow registered gas engineers to undertake essential work, whilst taking the appropriate precautions advised to avoid spreading or contracting the virus in a new setting.

In the event you are unable to gain access to the property, e.g. persistent refusal of access due to vulnerable tenants self-isolating, the landlord will be expected to be able to demonstrate that they took reasonable steps to comply with the law, and that they are seeking to arrange the safety check as soon as all parties are able. This will need to include records of communication with the tenant, and details of any attempts where the engineer tried to gain access.

What happens if my ACS is due to expire?
Whilst engineers are expected to take all reasonable measures to maintain their ACS qualifications, including planning ahead where possible, we appreciate that the current situation means this is not feasible. Maintaining gas safety competence is essential for registered gas engineers.

If engineers take all reasonable steps to update their expired ACS certification as soon as possible after the restrictions are lifted, and continue to work safely, HSE will permit registered gas engineers to remain on the Register for an additional period during the peak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) measures. Engineers may be required to demonstrate that they have taken reasonable steps to renew their qualifications. Engineers MUST maintain their Gas Safe registration during any extension of their ACS qualification period if they are carrying out gas work. This is a temporary measure and does not remove the standing requirement for registered gas engineers to maintain their ACS certification and renew certification every 5 years.

Gas Safe Register Inspections
We understand that there is some confusion amongst registered engineers following our recent update. We apologise for this and want to clarify the latest situation:

During this initial period of restriction, Gas Safe Register anticipates we will only conduct inspections undertaken by GSR Inspectors into high risk scenarios, and that these will be determined on a case-by-case basis with the HSE. All other inspections will be held and prioritised to be scheduled once the restrictions are lifted.

We have suspended all of our routine Inspection Events for the time being, and are looking at suitable alternatives to attending an event in person. This work will continue, and we will communicate details of these as soon as they have been decided.

Gas Safe Register's service
We are currently operating a limited service as we have closed our main office as of today until further notice, to support efforts to reduce the spread of the virus. We appreciate your patience and would like to remind you that we will not tolerate any abuse of our staff at any time; and ask that you treat everyone with respect as we work through this emerging situation.