| Article: Electrical Regulation Changes Hurts the DIY Enthusiast |
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From 1 January 2005 all electrical work in dwellings will need to comply with Part P requirements and be carried out by persons who are competent to do the work.
Small jobs such as replacing a socket-outlet or a light switch on an existing circuit will not need to be notified to a building control body (although there are some exceptions for high risk areas such as kitchens and bathrooms).
All work that involves adding a new circuit to a dwelling will need to be either notified to building control, who will then inspect the work, or carried out, by a competent person who is registered with a Part P Self-Certification Scheme.
A: You do not need to tell your local authority's Building Control Department about:
• repairs, replacements and maintenance work; or
• extra power points or lighting points or other alterations to existing circuits (except in a kitchen or bathroom, or outdoors).
You need to tell them about most other work.
If you are not sure about this, or you have any questions, ask your local authority's Building Control Department.
Persons registered with Part P Self-Certification Schemes will be fully qualified electrical contractors with the ability to thoroughly check a circuit for safety. They will be able to issue Building Regulations certificates of compliance.
Many jobs carried out on a DIY basis will be small jobs that do not need to be notified to building control, but householders are recommended to have them checked by a competent electrician to make sure they are safe. Much unsafe electrical work is carried out by over-ambitious amateurs.
Each year on average 10 people die and about 750 are seriously injured in accidents involving unsafe electrical installations in the home. In addition, in 2003 2,336 house fires were caused by faulty installations.
It is believed that risks from unsafe electrical installations have increased over recent years due to:
* Rising numbers and variety of electrical systems and appliances in buildings plus increased demands being made on them
* Privatisation of the supply industry in 1988 leading to fewer electrical supplier interventions in consumer installations.
* Voluntary self-regulation schemes provide excellent support for existing subscribers but do not always reach the independents or small businesses that have grown rapidly in number since the recession of the early 1990s.
Electrical accident rates in houses compare with those for carbon monoxide poising, gas explosions and collisions with glass - all of which are covered by the Building Regulations.
Risks in future could increase as rising consumer ownership of portable and fixed electrical appliances is causing extra demand for extensions and alterations to existing electrical installations.
The risks posed by unsafe electrical installations and portable appliances are electric shock and burns and injuries arising from fires in buildings ignited by electrical components overheating or arcing. Installations properly designed, fitted, tested and commissioned in accordance with BS7671 will help to minimise these risks.
The change to the building regulations was developed in response to the Construction Industry Deregulation Task Force's 1995 report which recommended amongst other things that the Building Regulations should address electrical safety
For the purposes of Building Regulations a fixed electrical system means those parts of the wiring and appliances that are fixed to the building fabric e.g. cables, sockets, switches, fuse-boxes, immersion heaters and ceiling fittings.
British Standard 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations: the IEE Wiring Regulations is the principal British Standard that covers the safe design, installation and testing of electrical installations in buildings systems and it is the technical standard almost universally specified in UK contracts for electrical installation work. It is the basis for the approved technical guidance to meet the electrical requirements of the Building Regulations.
The Building Services Guide is here to help you find competent contractors.
To find electrical contractors in your area please use the search facility on the left hand side.
You can view it online now at www.odpm.gov.uk/electricalsafety |
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