Gas Safe Register check: HSE warns after business sent an unregistered installer

A Gas Safe Register check matters even when you book through another business. HSE’s latest warning includes a company that sent an unregistered installer after he lied about his qualifications.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued the warning to families, homeowners and businesses on 14 September 2026. It reported 17 people convicted of illegal gas work, though it gives conflicting periods for that count without explaining the difference.

This is a reminder of existing rules, not a new duty. HSE’s summary of the law in Great Britain says anyone carrying out gas work must be registered or working under appropriate supervision, whatever the size of your team.

HSE warns that unqualified gas work can cause gas leaks, explosions, fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. The consequences can be fatal.

A Gas Safe Register check comes before work starts

Steve Critchlow, HSE’s Principal Inspector of Gas Safety, urged people to check their engineer’s registration before allowing work on gas appliances. His advice was blunt: if they are not on the register, do not let them through the door.

HSE says you can check through the Gas Safe Register website or by calling 0800 408 5500. You can also ask to see the engineer’s Gas Safe ID card. It takes seconds, and it is the only check that actually tells you who is standing in the customer’s home.

The advice matters when running the business, whether you send installers to customers or book gas work at your own premises. The release does not explain how to confirm an engineer is cleared for the particular type of gas work you need, only that they are registered.

A contracted business still sent an unregistered installer

HSE says a contracted business sent Israel Jackson to install a boiler in May 2022 after he lied about his qualifications. He had never been on Gas Safe Register.

Jackson issued a fraudulent gas safety certificate. A British Gas engineer attended and condemned the installation. Jackson returned the next day, ignored the notice and put the boiler back into use. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Croydon Crown Court on 4 February 2026. HSE’s release does not say whether the business that sent him faced any action.

The advertising you see before booking is the issue in a second case. HSE says Alexander Robson advertised on social media and through leaflets using a fake Gas Safe logo while he was not registered. Robson had been registered through various businesses until 1 February 2024, but kept working for several months after that. He received 8 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 2 years.

Both cases have the same shape. The logo, the booking and the certificate were never the check. The register is.