CPS registration with OFTEC - why training is vital

For technicians working in the heating industry, CPS registration with OFTEC is a way to inspire confidence in both new and existing customers. However, you will only be eligible to join OFTEC’s competent persons register if you can prove you have reached the required standards. This means undergoing the correct training and passing an assessment in your chosen scope of registration.

There are many reasons why it is essential that heating engineers are fully trained, and OFTEC offers competent persons registration in order to raise standards for the industry as a whole.

The certification available covers a range of different scopes for specialties within the heating industry. OFTEC also offers expert training via scores of approved training centres across the UK and Republic of Ireland, which all meet high standards.

Advantages of training

Safety – There are many possible risks if people who are not fully trained work with heating equipment. This could include appliances being wrongly installed or maintained, with possible fire risks as well as the danger of carbon monoxide leaks, posing a hazard to health.

OFTEC plays an important role in ensuring the safety of heating appliances and was originally set up in 1991 to raise safety standards and expertise within the industry. Our advice is that boilers and other oil-fired systems should be both installed and maintained by OFTEC registered engineers. Having the right certification will reassure customers that your work will be safe.

Expanding skills – After initial training, further courses can expand your expertise and skills as a technician. They will teach you how to work with different types of appliance and ensure that you are using best practice. OFTEC’s various scopes of registration cover all the knowledge needed to work in specific areas, with assessments ensuring you have the right skill level.

Keeping up to date – The heating industry is constantly changing, with technology changing and new innovations and developments. As a technician, you need to keep abreast of changes and ensure you have all the knowledge needed to work with the latest equipment. Taking regular courses is therefore vital to update your skills. When you register with OFTEC you will be required to undergo regular assessments, with certificates normally being valid for a period of five years and then needing to be renewed.

Choosing the right course

To reach the right standard to join a competent person scheme for the heating industry, first of all you need to have the relevant minimum technical competencies (MTC). There are different official standards for working with different types of equipment, including NVQs. You will then need to pass an assessment to show that you have reached competent person status for the particular type of equipment. Various qualifications are needed to apply for different areas of OFTEC registration.

Many different types of training course are available, so it is important to ensure you choose the right ones, which cover the skills you need and offer the type of certification you are looking for. It’s best to do some research at the outset and check the course you are taking is the most appropriate one for your area of work.

You can be confident when enrolling for any of OFTEC’s oil training courses that all the training will be carried out to high standards. OFTEC is known for its depth of experience and expertise in the field of oil training and the scopes of registration it offers cover many different aspects of working with oil-fired appliances. You can also have confidence in studying for various other qualifications at OFTEC-approved centres, such as certification covering solid fuel and renewables.

Once you have completed your initial training to the required standard and passed the assessment required by OFTEC, you can join the competent person register. Both the individual technician, and the business they work for, are required to register with OFTEC. There are many benefits to becoming an OFTEC registered technician, including the fact that prospective customers can confirm your level of skills by looking you up in the OFTEC technical database.

CPS registration also means you will also have the ability to self-certify your own installation work without the need for building control in regions where this is permitted. In addition, you will be able to use OFTEC’s official logo, ID badge and certificates to show you are a qualified member.

Discover the benefits of registering with OFTEC.