The forum was held online during March and was attended by five registered technicians, one regional inspector and OFTEC staff. To ensure not one voice was dominant we tried to get a mix of technicians who carry out a wide range of work in liquid fuel, solid fuel and renewable technologies and from different regions.
Making up this group was:
- Simon from Yorkshire, who combines working on the tools with being a part-time trainer.
- Adrian from Scotland, who works on liquid fuel and is also MCS registered for heat pumps.
- Phil from Essex, who has been a registered technician since 2011.
- Padraic from Cork in the Republic of Ireland in his first year of registration.
- Dean from North Yorkshire also works in liquid fuel and heat pumps under MCS registration.
- Tim, a self-employed regional inspector for CPS, MCS & PAS2030 schemes.
We asked – What do you get from your OFTEC registration?
Padric said he values the OFTEC reporting forms as a lot of his customers require official documentation. Simon said self- certifying work makes his customers compliant when their property gets sold. Phil said not many consumers are aware of the work OFTEC does or the logo and would like OFTEC to promote itself more.
Do you use the OFTEC technical helpline?
Adrian said the OFTEC technical books were useful to check measurements but did call the OFTEC helpline often. Dean said most of has installs are not complex and through the five-year training and assessment requirements he was relatively up to date on regulations. Phil uses the helpline just to double check things sometimes to be on the safe side.
Would OFTEC control documentation be useful if provided electronically? Padric uses hard copy but would consider using an electronic equivalent if it was available. Adrian also uses hard copy and has not considered going digital just yet, while Dean already uses an alternative digital offering.
Simon will go digital if it becomes available while Phil is already using a digital system that he subscribes to that also provides a diary management system.
Have you seen the new digital OFTEC field guide and is it useful? Tim says the feedback received from his inspections has been positive as the guide is not too wordy and easy to use. Adrian wanted to know if it could be used offline and OFTEC’s technical manager confirmed that it could be downloaded to a device when connected and then used anywhere offline.
How was your last inspection experience?
Adrian had no issue being inspected, and Simon added that those who did have an issue probably had something to hide.
Phil had heard from other technicians that they did not like issues being raised to their customers. OFTEC’s reply is that we have a duty to inform end users where non-compliance with building regulations is found as this could be a health and safety matter.
OFTEC then has to have evidence and sign off the remedial work to allow the self-certification to remain in place.
This conversation then went on to OFTEC training courses and new entrants. Phil and Simon asked if the OFTEC courses are tough enough and could anyone pass in time? Does anyone fail?
Dean thinks some technicians choose their easiest job for inspections and that inspectors should be more selective.
Tim (regional inspector) responded in that he always wants to see the most recent work completed before agreeing to the site to be visited.
Do you obtain work from the OFTEC website?
Simon can’t recall getting a referral from customers using the OFTEC website, while Phil says all his work comes via word-of-mouth which Dean confirmed was his experience too.
Padric had obtained a small number of referrals from the OFTEC website.
This conversation then went to discuss tradesman who falsely use the OFTEC logo on vans and websites. OFTEC asked if technicians knew this could be reported as the OFTEC logo is a registered trademark.
Most did not know that, if reported, OFTEC can investigate these occurrences with Trading Standards.
All technicians reported to being very busy with a good supply of work and that it’s a good time to be a heating technician. Dean says there is lots of repair work out there as consumer’s financial situations mean appliance replacements are down.
Does OFTEC communicate effectively, and do you use social media?
All receive regular newsletters but only Adrian admits to reading anything, but then only skims over it. Since the Oil Installer magazine went digital less tend to read every article. Reminders of renewals from the registration team were considered useful as technicians are busy people.
Most are on social media but don’t engage nowadays as a lot of rubbish is published. On the subject of OFTEC hosting its own Facebook group in the future, purely for bona-fide registered technicians, this was considered a good step forward.
What can OFTEC do better?
- Simon would like the entry criteria for unskilled people taking OFTEC assessments toughened up.
- Padric would like OFTEC to make the public more aware that OFTEC registered technicians are trained competent people.
- Adrian asked if appliance warranties could only be valid if installed by a registered technician.
- Dean asked for OFTEC to have a greater presence on social media.
- Phil asked about improving isolation systems on oil storage tanks.
All of the suggestions will be discussed internally and responded back to group and updated in future editions of this magazine.
If any registered technician who like to take part in future forums please email alightwood@oftec.org
Image credit: Adobe stock image
