Pickles ... totally agree with you regarding gas installations ..... though I would guess plenty of competent non-professionals could handle many jobs in safety and the 'death and destruction' would have been down to the knuckle-draggers who shouldn't be trusted with boiling a kettle but won't be told ... however the mayhem they cause, and the fact we can't easily differentiate means 'no amateur gas work' gets my vote.
I think what worries me (and plenty more) is that we seem to be ratcheting to a place where DIY is seen as some horrible risk ..... how long before you can't work on your own car or motorbike? ..... can't climb a ladder or use power tools? Because a bunch of do-gooders who never learnt how anything works think only 'professionals' are capable of rational thought and concientious work.
As someone who uses chainsaws, fixes roofs, mends my own vehicles and built my house from scratch with my own hands I'm not keen to see that taken away so I can pay lots of money to someone to do the same (or often less competent) job as I can.
K
