Privacy Policy

Last updated: 26 July 2026. Effective Date: 1 January 2024.

1. Introduction & Statutory Framework

Gas Safety Manchester ("we", "us", or "our") is dedicated to protecting your privacy and ensuring your personal information is managed safely and lawfully. This Privacy Policy sets out how we collect, use, store, process, and protect personal data gathered through our website (https://gassafetymanchester.co.uk), telephone bookings, and during onsite engineering inspections.

We adhere strictly to the Data Protection Act 2018, the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), and statutory record-keeping mandates stipulated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

2. Data Protection Officer (DPO) Contact Details

If you have any questions concerning this Privacy Policy, your data rights, or how we process personal inspection records, you can contact our Data Protection Officer directly:

3. Information We Collect

We collect and process the following categories of information to perform gas engineering, certification, and compliance services:

• Personal Identification & Contact Data: Full name, landlord/managing agent details, property owner details, tenant contact details (for scheduling access), billing address, inspection site address, contact telephone numbers, and email addresses.
• Engineering & Safety Inspection Data: Appliance specifications (make, model, serial numbers), gas meter readings, gas operating pressures, flue gas combustion analysis (CO/CO₂ ratios), safety control test outcomes, appliance location, and photographic records of appliances, flues, or warning notices issued (CP12, CP42, CP44, EICR, EPC).
• Financial & Payment Transaction Records: Invoicing details, payment status, and bank transaction references. Note: all card transactions are processed via PCI-DSS compliant payment gateways; we do not store full credit or debit card numbers on our servers.
• Digital Technical & Analytics Data: IP addresses, browser types, referral URLs, and interactions with our website to ensure site security, fault diagnosis, and service improvements.

4. Lawful Bases for Processing Personal Data

Under Article 6 of the UK GDPR, we process personal information under the following lawful bases:

• Contractual Necessity: To fulfill service agreements, execute CP12 gas inspections, carry out boiler repairs, generate digital certificates, and communicate booking arrangements.
• Legal & Regulatory Obligation: To comply with mandatory requirements under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, HSE reporting rules, Building Regulations compliance notices, and statutory tax and accounting laws.
• Legitimate Interests: To manage warranty records, maintain job histories for future appliance servicing, defend legal claims, prevent fraud, and optimize our engineering operations.
• Consent: Where you have opted in to receive optional annual certificate renewal reminders or seasonal maintenance advice. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.

5. Data Retention & Certificate Archives

In accordance with UK statutory accounting rules and Gas Safe Register / HSE auditing requirements, we maintain digital records of all gas safety certificates (CP12, CP42, CP44) and Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR) for a minimum period of 6 years from the date of the check.

General non-booking customer enquiries and quotation records are retained for up to 2 years before secure deletion.

6. Third-Party Disclosures & Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or lease customer data to third-party marketing companies. Personal data is only shared with trusted third parties under strict confidentiality and security protocols:

• Gas Safe Register: For reporting relevant heat-producing appliance installations in accordance with UK Building Regulations Part J.
• Accredited Gas Safe Engineers & Electricians: Directly assigned engineers and subcontracted specialists who require address and appliance information to perform contracted work.
• Cloud & IT Service Providers: Encrypted cloud hosting and field-service software providers who store our inspection archives under UK GDPR-compliant processing agreements.
• Legal & Regulatory Authorities: Law enforcement or safety regulators (e.g., HSE) where legally required to report immediately dangerous installations or cooperate with statutory investigations.

7. Your Legal Rights Under UK GDPR

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation, you possess several legal rights concerning your personal data:

• Right of Access (Subject Access Request - SAR): You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you at no charge.
• Right to Rectification: You can request that inaccurate or incomplete contact or property information be updated promptly.
• Right to Erasure ('Right to be Forgotten'): You may request the deletion of your personal information, provided it is no longer required for mandatory legal compliance (such as statutory 6-year gas safety record retention).
• Right to Restrict Processing: You can request that we suspend processing your data under certain circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability: You may request your personal data and inspection reports in a structured, commonly used digital format (e.g. PDF).
• Right to Object: You can object at any time to receiving marketing communications or automated annual renewal reminders.

To exercise any of these rights, please email our Data Protection Officer at info@gassafetymanchester.co.uk. We respond to all formal requests within one calendar month.

8. Right to Lodge a Complaint with the ICO

If you believe your personal data has been handled improperly or we have failed to resolve your query satisfactorily, you have the statutory right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority:

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Helpline: 0303 123 1113 | Website: https://ico.org.uk

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We periodically review and update this Privacy Policy to reflect evolving legal standards, regulatory amendments from Gas Safe Register, or changes in our operational procedures. Any updates will be published directly on this page with a revised "Last updated" date.