Gas engineering operative

Key information

Reference: ST0155
Date updated: 02/09/2024
Level: 3
Route: Construction and the built environment
Regulated occupation: No

Details of the occupational standard

Occupation summary

This occupation is found within the construction sector, supporting the continued provision of installation and maintaining gas-fuelled heating and hot water systems across the UK.

The broad purpose of this occupation is to safely install, commission, decommission, carry out scheduled maintenance and repairs of gas appliances and equipment in a domestic dwelling. Appliances can include, but are not limited to, a range of work categories such as central heating boilers, ducted air heaters, cookers, space heaters and gas metering equipment. Roles in gas engineering are physical in nature and may involve lifting and moving of equipment, working at height and in confined spaces. All operatives must be registered on the Gas Safe Register for each appliance in which they are competent to undertake work on.

Gas Engineering Operatives are responsible for ensuring customer safety and always providing service excellence. Operatives will be required to explain how gas installations are designed and how appliances and controls operate, providing energy efficiency advice to customers as an integral part of the role.

Occupation duties

Duty	KSBs
Duty 1 Install and commission a range of gas appliances and associated systems and controls such as central heating boilers, cookers, space heaters and meters.	K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 K24 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S21 B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 2 Carry out scheduled maintenance activities and servicing of gas appliances, systems and components.	K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 K24 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S21 B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 3 Safely identify and rectify faults.	K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 K24 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S21 B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 4 Safely decommission gas appliances.	K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 K24 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S21 B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 5 Select, use and maintain the appropriate tools, equipment and test instrumentation.	K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 K24 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S21 B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 6 Source, interpret and action relevant technical documentation, standards, regulations and industry wide updates.	K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 K24 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S21 B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 7 Return the working area to a clean and tidy state, safely disposing of waste and recycling items where appropriate.	K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 K24 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S21 B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 8 Provide excellent customer service including providing advice and guidance on operating appliances safely and maximising energy efficiency.	K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 K24 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S21 B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 9 Prioritise health and safety at all times.	K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 K24 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S21 B1 B2 B3 B4

KSBs

Knowledge

K1: Health and safety practices including manual handling, working at height and working in confined spaces. Back to Duty

K2: Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure (IGEM G11). Back to Duty

K3: Risk assessments, associated procedures and documentation. Back to Duty

K4: Environmental and sustainability regulations and guidance. Back to Duty

K5: The range of gas appliances, their suitability and associated gases. Back to Duty

K6: Installation and commissioning practices and techniques applicable to primary gas appliances. Back to Duty

K7: Installation and commissioning practices and techniques applicable to secondary gas appliances. Back to Duty

K8: Testing and safety-checking practices applicable to gas appliance types. Back to Duty

K9: Routine and reactive servicing and maintenance practices and techniques applicable to gas appliances and components. Back to Duty

K10: Fault-finding, diagnosis and rectification practices and techniques applicable to gas appliances, their controls and associated systems. Back to Duty

K11: Decommissioning practices and techniques applicable to gas appliances and systems. Back to Duty

K12: Domestic electrical circuits, safe isolation and electrical safety checks in relation to the work being conducted. Back to Duty

K13: Combustion theories, combustion analysis, gas properties, carbon monoxide and types of burners. Back to Duty

K14: Chimney and flueing types, design and ventilation principles specific to gas appliances and dwelling types and structures. Back to Duty

K15: Emergency procedures including gas escapes, report of fumes and unsafe situations. Back to Duty

K16: Heat and hot water system design theory, location, controls including smart controls. Back to Duty

K17: Common construction techniques and features of domestic housing stock including wall types, floor types, glazing, drainage systems & utilities. Back to Duty

K18: Sustainability and energy efficiency: green technologies, alternative fuels, energy consumption, energy ratings and how they are calculated. Back to Duty

K19: General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Back to Duty

K20: Principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the impact on their work. Back to Duty

K21: Common issues, symptoms and warning signs of stress, anxiety and depression, including where to go for help and the resources available. Back to Duty

K22: Tools, equipment and test instrumentation used in gas engineering activities. Back to Duty

K23: Verbal communication techniques. Giving and receiving information. Matching style to audience. Barriers in communication and how to overcome them. Industry terminology. Back to Duty

K24: Principles of recycling, reusing and returning defective components and disposal of waste. Back to Duty

Skills

S1: Comply with health and safety practices. Back to Duty

S2: Install and commission a range of primary appliances, for example central heating boilers, gas cookers, space heaters. Back to Duty

S3: Install and commission a range of secondary appliances, for example laundry appliances, water heaters and gas meters (not exceeding 6m3 in capacity). Back to Duty

S4: Carry out testing and safety checks applicable to the appliance chimney or flue type. Back to Duty

S5: Carry out routine maintenance and servicing of appliances and components. Back to Duty

S6: Identify and rectify faults in appliances and components. Back to Duty

S7: Decommission appliances and systems. Back to Duty

S8: Isolate the electrical supply to the appliance. Back to Duty

S9: Conduct electrical safety checks pre- and post-work. Back to Duty

S10: Undertake and document risk assessments. Back to Duty

S11: Source, read and follow technical documentation associated with equipment and installation requirements. Back to Duty

S12: Select, use and maintain tools, equipment and test instrumentation. Back to Duty

S13: Select and use personal protective equipment (PPE). Back to Duty

S14: Check and action inspection records and schedules. Back to Duty

S15: Identify unsafe situations or conditions and take action under IGEM G/11 Gas industry unsafe situations procedure. Back to Duty

S16: Use digital technology to access job, appliance and customer information. Back to Duty

S17: Complete and maintain work records including appliance and customer data in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Back to Duty

S18: Communicate verbally with customers, including the provision of guidance on energy and efficiency measures specific to the appliance or system being worked on. Back to Duty

S19: Recycle, reuse, return defective components and dispose of waste. Back to Duty

S20: Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development activities. Back to Duty

S21: Apply equity, diversity and inclusion procedures. Back to Duty

Behaviours

B1: Prioritise health and safety. Back to Duty

B2: Take responsibility for work. Back to Duty

B3: Committed to continued professional development (CPD) to maintain and enhance competence in own area of practice. Back to Duty

B4: Support an equitable, diverse and inclusive culture. Back to Duty

End-point assessment (EPA plan)

Rigorous robust and independent assessment undertaken by an apprentice at the end of training to test that the apprentice can perform in the occupation they have been trained in and can demonstrate the duties, and knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) set out in the occupational standard

End-point assessment organisation (EPAO)

An organisation approved to deliver end-point assessment for a particular apprenticeship standard. EPAOs must be on the register of end-point assessment organisations

Holistic or synoptic

Assessment of an apprentice’s knowledge, skills and behaviours in an integrated way i.e. assessing several KSBs at the same time

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB)

What is needed to competently undertake the duties required for an occupational standard

Valid

Referred to in relation to assessment methods; fit for purpose

Change request policy

Most changes to an apprenticeship are made as a result of a holistic review of it. We prioritise the need for such reviews based on a range of factors. These include:

the time since the apprenticeship was developed or last reviewed (taking account of its typical duration)
the existence of any known problems with it (e.g. lower than expected starts, low achievement rate, high withdrawal rate, any issues with the availability of training or end-point assessment provision)
whether the apprenticeship is currently subject to a dispensation
the relative significance of the apprenticeship based on how many users it has

The availability of an employer group to support a review and its potential impact on any related technical education product also inform the timing of a review.

Details of apprenticeships that are currently being revised or adjusted are available in our revisions and adjustments status report.

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