A London chimney sweep has been offically named as the most qualified in the UK.
Josh Firkins, of H. Firkins & Sons, received a GQA Level 3 NVQ in Inspecting and Designing Chimneys and Dry Solid Fuel Installations. He’s the first person to receive the award, which was recently developed in addtion to the L2 NVQ in Sweeping, Servicing and Inspecting Flues and Solid Fuel Appliances and the L2 NVQ in Installing Chimney Flues and Solid Fuel Appliances.
Josh’s family business is one of the UK’s oldest chimney sweeping firms. Its roots can be traced back to 1860, with the family sweeping right across the nation’s capital.
Josh, who has been sweeping almost 20 years, said: “I’m naturally delighted to be recognised as the first person to attain this Level 3.
“I was assessed seven times by Chimney Skills Training throughout the process, with observational assessments, professional discussions, product evidence with inspection reports and chimney design drawings and plans being assessed and so on.
“On top of this, I wasn’t only observed by Chris Geeves on site. A representative was sent along by both CITB and GQA to be part of the assessment process. It is the first qualification of its kind and it was the first time it was being assessed, so I had the full squad watching me!
“A large proportion of my work is inspections for party wall disputes, new homeowners and various installers for thorough pre-installation inspections, so it’s very relevant in my day-to-day job.
“More widely, I think the Level 3 will be a great benefit to the industry. It provides a distinction between those who simply sweep and service or install, and those who carry out thorough inspections and design work.
“There’s an increasing demand for inspections, and it’s important sweeps are able to demonstrate competence in this area of our work. With so many buildings being altered, divided into Homes in Multiple Occupancy (HMOs), especially in cities, it’s an important skill which can help keep people safe.
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