CL:AIRE launches a new Gas Protection Verification Accreditation Scheme

By Chris Larkin and Andrew Fellows from RSK Geosciences

A professional accreditation scheme to recognise the competency and experience of gas-protection-system verifiers has recently been launched in the UK.

Administered by CL:AIRE and backed by RSK Geosciences, the scheme aims to raise industry standards and to provide a route for professionals to demonstrate their competence in inspecting gas membranes and designing verification protocols.

The scheme provides two levels of accreditation:

1. technician in gas protection verification (TGPV), for field staff who undertake these duties on site and prepare field records
2. specialist in gas protection verification (SGPV), for those involved in the preparation of verification plans, method statements and inspection and validation reports.

A register of SGPVs is maintained by CL:AIRE. Validation reports signed off by an SGPV can be submitted to CL:AIRE to receive a declaration demonstrating that the verification process has been undertaken by competent persons and in line with good-practice guidance. Further information can be found on the CL:AIRE website.

As an industry-leading land contamination consultancy, RSK Geosciences has a nationwide team of ground-gas-membrane verifiers that provides independent verification of gas membranes and gas protection systems for residential, commercial and school developments. RSK gas-membrane verifiers are supported by a network of experienced specialists in assessing gas risk and designing mitigation measures, who prepare verification plans, review proposed protection measures and sign-off validation reports. The division has the capability to undertake a range of advanced integrity tests for added assurance and the rapid testing of larger plots, as detailed in our recent insight article on verification services.

RSK Geosciences has a robust system of training in place and is supporting all staff who routinely verify gas protection systems and sign off validation reports to become accredited at the appropriate grade.

RSK Geosciences provides its clients with a turnkey service to facilitate and demonstrate safe development. The use of independent, experienced and accredited staff provides clients, local authorities, warranty providers and future homeowners with the assurance that gas membranes are installed correctly and in line with relevant British Standards, Building Regulations and best-practice industry guidance.

Peter Witherington, RSK Director, said, “RSK fully supports CL:AIRE’s Gas Protection Verification Scheme as it is part of the continuing drive to raise standards across the contaminated land industry. For many years, RSK has been at the forefront of this process, supporting the Specialist in Land Condition (SiLC) scheme since its inception in 1999; being instrumental in the development of the industry code of practice on the definition of waste with its associated training programme for qualified persons; assisting with the Society of Brownfield Risk Assessment (SoBRA); and working with the Land Forum to establish the National Quality Mark Scheme. We enjoyed being involved in setting up this latest scheme and are greatly encouraged by the work CL:AIRE is putting into encouraging, supporting and introducing such initiatives that aim to improve the standards applied to the assessment and remediation of contaminated land.”

For more information on RSK Geosciences’ gas protection and verification services, please visit its webpage. For further information on RSK’s service offering in gas protection verification, please contact Chris Larkin. For more information on wider RSK services related to risks from ground gas, please contact RSK Technical Lead, Andrew Fellows.