Avoiding Disciplinary Action Through Compliance

The gas industry is governed by regulation and requires all persons installing or removing gas reticulation systems or gas appliances to be registered. Regulation 17* mandates the SAQCC Gas as the registration body for gas practitioners in South Africa. This mandate extends to the handling of disciplinary matters.

Is your work compliant?

There are 3 specific compliance categories – people, appliance equipment, regulations, and standards. These categories are governed by the safe handling of gases. When a registered gas practitioner is non-compliant in one of these categories it will warrant disciplinary action.

Did you know that the SAQCC Gas is made up of 4 associations? They are; SAGA, SARACCA, LPGSA, and SACGA.

Each of the 4 associations governs the disciplinary process within their field of specialisation. The process outcome can vary from remedial action, warnings escalation to the SAQCC Gas board where a further warning may be issued, eventuating in possible de-registration. When the non-compliance act is severe, the associations are bypassed, and the matter goes straight to the SAQCC Gas board.

“We always try to remedy the situation, if we know there is someone practicing in our gas range, we try to help them become compliant and registered with the SAQCC Gas, if they are not keen on being compliant, then we report them to the DEL.” – Roy Lubbe, SAGA President & the SAQCC Gas Board Member

There are various offenses that could lead to de-registration, the most common is gas practitioners working outside their scope. Gas practitioners are only allowed to complete work for which they are registered. Working outside that scope of registration is a severe offense.

Disciplinary role players at SAQCC Gas:

• Chairperson
• Initiator
• Defendant
• Witness
• Gas practitioner representative
• DEL (Only when the matter is being appealed)

De-registration sanctions

There are 3 de-registration sanctions. The Gas practitioner can either be de-registered for 1 year then go through mentorship, or work under mentorship for a fixed period as agreed by the SAQCC Gas to fulfil the requirements agreed upon, and then re-apply. The worst sanction is de-registration for life, this is when the individual must return their license to the SAQCC Gas. 

Code of good practice

All Gas practitioners sign a Code of Good Practice which assists in regulating behavior in the gas industry. The Code of Good Practice does not allow a gas practitioner to sign for work they have not personally carried out. All Gas practitioners are required to comply with the Health & Safety Act (Number 85 of 1993).

Protecting the safety and standards of the gas industry is vital. The disciplinary processes were put in place to ensure that these objectives are enforced. For more information on the above, please visit www.saqccgas.co.za

*Regulation 17 stems from the Pressure Equipment Regulations (PER). The PER is mandated by the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL)