OFTEC registered engineers

What OFTEC registration actually gives you

OFTEC, the Oil Firing Technical Association, runs the competent person scheme for oil heating in the UK and Ireland. Registered technicians are assessed on their competence and re-assessed periodically, and crucially they can self-certify their own work against Building Regulations.

In practice that means your installation is signed off without a separate building control application, you get a completion certificate for your records, and if you ever need to make an oil-related insurance claim you can prove the installation met the standard. An unregistered installer can fit a tank perfectly well and still leave you unable to demonstrate any of that.

The rules we build to

• Building Regulations Part J

  Covers combustion appliances and fuel storage systems: tank siting, fire separation, oil supply pipework, fire valves and the labelling of the installation.

• OFTEC Technical Book 3

  The installation standard for oil storage: capacities, base construction, separation distances, bunding requirements and fill point arrangements.

• BS 5410-1

  The British Standard for oil firing installations up to 45kW output, covering commissioning, oil lines and appliance connection.

• Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) Regulations

  Applies to commercial and agricultural storage over 200 litres: secondary containment sized to 110%, fittings inside the bund, and protection from impact.

How to check any installer

Ask for the technician's OFTEC registration number and the categories they hold. Tank installation and appliance commissioning are separate competencies. You can verify a registration directly through OFTEC's own technician search. Anyone genuinely registered will hand the number over without hesitating.