The Competent Person Self-Certification Scheme:
The competent person self-certification scheme (often referred to as; competent person schemes) were introduced by the UK Government in 2002.
The purpose of the schemes was to enable companies and individual tradespersons to self-certificate (sign-off) their own work, stating that it has been carried out in accordance with Building Regulations 2010 (as amended) and other legislation/approved codes of practice.
The reason for this introduction was to facilitate a more efficient means of obtaining approval/certification for building works that would otherwise require a building notice and/or deposit of full plans. The schemes were also created to reduce the burden being placed upon Local Authority Building Control Officers.
The self-certification scheme is used as an alternative to submitting a building notice/full plans to the Local Authority and engaging the services of a Building Control Officer (building inspector). Competent persons are still required to comply with the requirements laid down in the Approved Documents and other legislation/approved codes of practice.
Tradespersons who are not part of a self-certification scheme will still need to submit a building notice/full plans to a Local Authority and engage a building control officer in addition to ensuring compliance with the above.
A Competent Person:
The Health and Safety Executive in the UK defines a competent person as:-
A competent person is someone who has sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities that allow them to assist you properly. The level of competence required will depend on the complexity of the situation and the particular help you need.
You must get help from a competent person to enable you to meet the requirements of health and safety law.
In addition to the above, anyone carrying out building works where a building notice or full plans would have to be submitted must ensure they comply with the Building Regulations 2010 (as amended) and the Building Act 1984.
There are aspects of building works/ other works involving building services that do not require a building notice or submission of full plans and we shall look at these in another document.
Tradespersons joining competent person schemes:
Any tradesperson wishing to join a competent person’s scheme must ensure the trade body is registered with such a scheme that has been approved by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Providers of competent person schemes:
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is in charge of authorising competent person schemes.
To make sure that the standards are consistent, there are rules that scheme operators must follow and conditions they must meet.
Tradespersons wishing to join a scheme provider must ensure it supports the type of work they wish to undertake. There are several scheme providers and they may have different application processes, rules and fees.
What to expect when applying to join a scheme provider:
Tradespersons wishing to join a scheme provider must submit their application and their level of competence will be assessed, which includes verification of an applicants training, qualifications, insurance, company administration, health and safety and also conducting regular on-site visits, to ensure tradespersons continue to meet the standards required to retain their membership and self-certificate their work.
Minimum Technical Competence:
In order to be registered with a competent person scheme, tradespersons need to demonstrate that they meet the relevant minimum technical competence requirements as stipulated by scheme providers.
Current Government Approved Scheme Providers in the
Oil Fired Engineering Sector:
APHC
Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (Certification) Limited.
(Our preferred competent person scheme provider)
Blue Flame Certification Limited
BESCA
Building Engineering Services Competence Assessment Limited
CERTSURE
Certsure LLP, trading as ELECSA or NICEIC
NAPIT
NAPIT Registration Limited
OFTEC
Oil Firing Technical Association Limited
Oil Fired Re-certification
This writeup would not be complete without a short discussion on the subject of oil fired training and/or re-certification.
Any tradesperson wishing to work upon gas systems and appliances, is under a legal requirement to be registered with a group/body approved by the Health and Safety Executive, in this case; GAS SAFE REGISTER;
Work involving oil fired systems and appliances, does not fall under the same legal umbrella so to speak however, compliance with Approved Documents and numerous other legislation, requires a need to either self-certificate or submit a building notice to the Local Authority.
Do we have to be a member of OFTEC?
The simple answer to this is NO!
Scheme providers assess tradespersons using an approved format. The training/re-certification an operative has undertaken determines competence to carry out that particular aspect of work.
Tradespersons are required to demonstrate competence and the ability to comply with Building Regulations 2010 (as amended), either as a competent person self-certificating their own work or by submitting building notices to the Local Authority.
Validation of one’s competence can be achieved by attending one of the numerous training establishments up and down the UK, to undertake training and/or re-certification in OFTEC modules for the type of oil work one wishes to carry out.
Having achieved training/re-certification, they can apply to become a member of a Competent Persons Scheme Provider.
The scheme provider will as mentioned earlier, assess the applicant’s suitability to join the scheme. One aspect of this is to validate a tradesperson’s training/qualifications/certifications, amongst other criteria.
For example; in addition to our comprehensive array of industry-specifc training, experience and qualifications, we have obtained re-certification in the following OFTEC modules:-
OFT 10 – 101 – Commissioning, service, maintenance of single stage pressure jet appliances.
OFT10 – 102D/W – Commissioning, service, maintenance of vapourising burner appliances.
OFT10 – 600A – Installation of oil storage tanks and supply systems to fixed combustion appliances. This includes the inspection and service of oil storage tanks and supply systems.
Our OFTEC Oil Fired Training Certification is valid for five years and must be renewed on or after 23 January 2029
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