OFTEC Registration - How to register your business
OFTEC has built up a national reputation as the trade association for the oil heating industry with a renowned OFTEC registration scheme. Technicians and businesses who have been accredited follow guidelines which are regularly updated to provide assurance to customers that any work completed will be to a high standard.
As well as offering registration services for oil heating professionals, technicians can now expand their OFTEC registration to encompass the installation and servicing of solid fuel room heaters, renewable technology and electrical installations through the electrical part P registration scheme.
So, if you or your business deal with any of these types of heating installation, how do you go about becoming OFTEC registered?
Requirements for qualified staff
To join OFTEC’s competent person scheme both businesses and its technicians are required to complete OFTEC registration. This ensures that, if a member of staff changes job, they are still covered by their individual competent person registration. Businesses must have one or more registered technicians to complete the process which can be done at the same time as individual registration.
In addition to having a minimum of one OFTEC registered technician, businesses offering multiple services must be able to show they have enough registered technicians on their books. If you are operating as a sole trader or are self-employed you need to register both yourself and your business under OFTEC’s competent person scheme.
OFTEC’s registration services require individual technicians, who hold the necessary qualifications, to undergo relevant training and assessment to demonstrate their skills before they are accepted. Once completed, registered technicians will need to keep up to date with changes to OFTEC guidelines.
Other rules for registered businesses
As well as having suitably qualified registered staff there are also other requirements that businesses must meet to become OFTEC registered. These help to set an OFTEC registered business apart from other competitors and include:
Insurance – Businesses need to have public liability insurance up to at least £2million/€2.8million. OFTEC’s insurance services can offer competitive insurance costs.
Health and safety policy – If your organisation has five or more members of staff you must have a health and safety policy in place. The Health and Safety Executive can provide a template or you can develop your own policy through their website. For smaller companies, employing less than five people, it is recommended that they still consider their own health and safety policies and procedures.
Dealing with complaints – The effective handling of complaints is essential for any OFTEC registered business. This includes having the systems in place to both acknowledge and respond to any complaints received. All complaints must be logged and made available for review if requested by OFTEC.
There are also other rules that OFTEC registered businesses must abide by as outlined in the ‘Rules for Registrations’ booklet and, once registered, it is important that you regularly review this document to keep up to date with any changes.
If you want to apply for OFTEC registration please click here to find out how to register.