GAS SAFE Engineers?? Not Fitters??

sukiduki

Hello,
I'm a mechanical engineer and I and others in this field are getting a bit fed up of the daft use of the term engineer for people who are (quite respectably) fitters, technicians, mechanics, plumbers, etc.

GAS SAFE have now compounded the problem by insisting on dumbing down the term engineer by labeling fitters and plumbers as engineers in stead of at best, technicians. This seems like a government body officially dumbing down engineering.

Mechanical engineers make moon landings possible, design replacement heart valves to keep people alive and will help save the planet with energy solutions helped by Civil, Electrical and other engineers who will also be doing amazing things of their own.

Lets get one thing straight, engineers design combi boilers, fitters and plumbers fit and repair them so please stop this silly and (in my opinion) fraudulent use of the term "engineer".

Regards, SD

Andy_L

Unfortunatly it's been happening for so long & the Engineering Council have done so little about it that its a lost cause :-(

dmg24

Get a life sukiduki. All because someone does not fit your definition of an engineer, does not mean they are not one.

My father and my brother are both engineers, both with different qualifications/ experience. Does that mean one should take on a different title? No.

You will find that most areas attract generic titles - you can have qual and unqual teachers and accountants, conveyancers that call themselves lawyers etc. If you are that hung up on a title, I think you need to get out more!

sukiduki

I quote: "you can have qual and unqual teachers and accountants, conveyancers that call themselves lawyers etc. If you are that hung up on a title, I think you need to get out more!"

I'm not that hung up about it, in fact its quite funny. And yes, I do understand that a degree does not make one an anything, unless you can actually do it. For example, Stevenson, Trevithic and Brunel were not highly "qualified", if at all, but did create amazing engineering solutions, so they were engineers.

And as for unqualified teachers, I would have the same opinion of an unqualified teacher as an unqualified engineer. If he/she actually does "engineer" things, i.e. creates solutions to problems then tey're an engineer, if he/she teaches well, they're a teacher. If they install boilers they're a.... you tell me.

The bloke that came to replace the faulty fan in my boiler is no more an engineer than he is a doctor - perhaps Doctor of Heating should be adopted by Gas Safe?

Pssst

sukiduki wrote: »

Hello,
I'm a mechanical engineer and I and others in this field are getting a bit fed up of the daft use of the term engineer for people who are (quite respectably) fitters, technicians, mechanics, plumbers, etc.

GAS SAFE have now compounded the problem by insisting on dumbing down the term engineer by labeling fitters and plumbers as engineers in stead of at best, technicians. This seems like a government body officially dumbing down engineering.

Mechanical engineers make moon landings possible, design replacement heart valves to keep people alive and will help save the planet with energy solutions helped by Civil, Electrical and other engineers who will also be doing amazing things of their own.

Lets get one thing straight, engineers design combi boilers, fitters and plumbers fit and repair them so please stop this silly and (in my opinion) fraudulent use of the term "engineer".

Regards, SD

Are you suggesting that no one on the gassaferegister can lay claim to the status of engineer as defined by the Engineering council or any of its affiliates?

As an aside,i do have some issues with the gassaferegister...

tooldle

Perhaps the way around this is to refer to yourself as a "chartered engineer", if of course you are. This reflects your professional status and differentiates us (yes I am an engineer as well) from car mechanics.

Andy_L

dmg24 wrote: »

conveyancers that call themselves lawyers etc.

I believe that, if they were to do that then the Law Society would be on them like, literally, a pack of litigious lawyers

Emmylou_2

Andy_L wrote: »

I believe that, if they were to do that then the Law Society would be on them like, literally, a pack of litigious lawyers

No they wouldn't, anyone can call themselves a lawyer. Lawyer is a generic term for anyone who works in law.

A solicitor/barrister/legal executive, however, is an entirely different kettle of fish.

jonnyd281

sukiduki wrote: »

Hello,
I'm a mechanical engineer and I and others in this field are getting a bit fed up of the daft use of the term engineer for people who are (quite respectably) fitters, technicians, mechanics, plumbers, etc.

GAS SAFE have now compounded the problem by insisting on dumbing down the term engineer by labeling fitters and plumbers as engineers in stead of at best, technicians. This seems like a government body officially dumbing down engineering.

Mechanical engineers make moon landings possible, design replacement heart valves to keep people alive and will help save the planet with energy solutions helped by Civil, Electrical and other engineers who will also be doing amazing things of their own.

Lets get one thing straight, engineers design combi boilers, fitters and plumbers fit and repair them so please stop this silly and (in my opinion) fraudulent use of the term "engineer".

Regards, SD

I agree, If you called yourself Engineer in the US without a license you would be in court so fast your feet wouldn't touch the ground. A plumber is not an Engineer they are a fitter pure and simple.

sukiduki

"Are you suggesting that no one on the gassaferegister can lay claim to the status of engineer as defined by the Engineering council or any of its affiliates?"

Not necessarily, though there's nothing on there about gas fitting I can see. And if there were it would come under engineering technician, but even that would be really pushing it.

Although just to muddy the waters a bit, I'm not a chartered or incorporated (who bothers with incorporated anyway?) engineer. Not yet anyway, but if someone at a party asked what I do, I can feel fairly comfortable saying I'm an engineer as that's what I do. If I fitted boilers I'd feel a bit false saying engineer rather than gas fitter.

I hope any gas fitters (gas safe engineers) reading this don't think I'm belittling what they do. To do something well and with pride is great. But to call yourself something you're not is a sign that you are indeed suffering from 'job title insecurity'

Pssst

I am on the gas safe register and i am actually qualified as an engineer. I know of colleagues who are similar and others who have uni degrees etc. Like any sector of the workforce,they are many and varied. I'm more than certain that oyu could find unemplyed,cleaners,bin men,roadsweepers etc with proper degrees. Not namby pampy ones.