NAPIT is urging electricians to make sure they comply with the law after several prosecutions by Building Control for shoddy electrical installations.
In February, an electrician was fined £3,470 by Maidenhead Magistrates’ Court for breaching Building Regulations. Work carried out included wiring a shower and then issuing a certificate stating the job was up to standard, when in fact it was faulty and could have caused a fire.
In a similar case, a bathroom fitter was fined £1,500 after pleading guilty to breaking regulations preventing unsafe electrical work. Following an investigation by Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Building Control department, charges were brought under Part P of the Building Regulations with regard to the electrics in a replacement bathroom in a private property near Bath.
In both cases, neither defendant was a Member of a Competent Person Scheme and therefore accredited to work on electrics under the requirements of Part P. Nor did they get Building Control to inspect the work to make sure it complied with the Building Regulations.
Commenting on the cases, NAPIT Chief Executive John Andrews said ‘we are pleased to see that Building Control are monitoring the standard of electrical work as required under Part P, and that they are prepared to enforce the regulations. The electricians in both these cases could have saved themselves a lot of money and grief if they’d had the proper training and registered to self certify their work.’
Part P came into force in England and Wales in January 2005 in order to increase electrical safety in dwellings and reduce the number of death, injuries and fires caused by faulty electrics. The regulations are designed to make it harder for contractors to carry out sub-standard work which doesn’t meet British Standards.
Under Part P, most electrical work carried out in domestic situations must be notified to Local Authority Building Control. Pretty much all electrical installation work other than plugging an item into an existing socket is covered. The notification should be made before work starts, unless it’s carried out by a ‘Competent Person’ who is on an approved Part P register such as NAPIT.
Part P registered electricians can self certify their electrical work for the category in which they are registered, avoiding the need for a costly Building Control notices and inspection. Furthermore, online works notification systems like the NAPIT one ensure that the appropriate Local Authority is notified, and that the householder receives a certificate to say the work complies with Building Regulations. This last point will become increasingly important when the government’s Home Information Packs become law in June 2007 – and evidence of compliant work will be needed when buying and selling houses.
By using a Part P scheme like NAPIT, you can save money and time by self certifying your defined scheme electrical work. Most importantly you can comply with the law, and make sure your electrical installations are safe. Smart thinking electricians can offer works notification as part of their professional service to householders, along with the reassurance of the certificate of compliance.
Further details of the NAPIT Registration scheme are available online (see link below) or by telephone (see contact details below)