Gas Safe Register has launched a new public safety campaign called Trust The Triangle to remind the public that the only sign of a trustworthy gas engineer, is that they are registered with Gas Safe and have the Gas Safe ID card which sports the triangle logo.
Research carried out among the British public as part of the campaign revealed that gas engineers are the most trusted of all tradespeople, followed by gas and electricity meter readers, carpet fitters, and electricians. Builders and plumbers were considered the least trustworthy.
The research also revealed that Brits are putting their lives in danger by employing tradespeople based on their appearance and behaviours rather than their qualifications and skills to do the job. They look for politeness, good eye contact, confidence, good clothing and a nice smile. One in four people also admitted they decide whether someone is trustworthy within the first five minutes of meeting them.
These figures are a concern to Gas Safe Register as it believes millions of people are letting unscrupulous tradespeople into their homes particularly as Gas Safe Register estimates that around a quarter of a million illegal jobs are carried out every year by fitters who do not have the correct qualifications and cannot be trusted.
Jonathan Samuel, chief executive of Gas Safe Register, said: “We know that in the right hands gas is safe, but in the wrong hands badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can be deadly and can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and CO poisoning. With hundreds of thousands of illegal gas jobs being carried out every year in the UK, people are putting the safety of their families in the hands of people they don’t really know and whose competencies they certainly haven’t checked.
“This research highlights the importance of gas engineers differentiating themselves from cowboy tradespeople who are sweet talking their way into jobs. It is great to see Gas Safe registered engineers instilling trust in the public with your appearance and behaviour, but to make sure your customers know that you are qualified to work on gas you should proudly present your ID card when arriving at a job. Seven in ten people say they would look for an ID card when searching for a trustworthy tradesperson anyway, so why not show them before they have to ask?”
Gas Safe Register is calling on all registered engineers to help encourage the public to trust the triangle and look for the Gas Safe Register logo. If you are aware of someone working illegally, you can report it anonymously to Gas Safe Register.
Look out for the Trust The Triangle adverts placed all over the country and get involved on social media with #TrustTheTriangle.