Electrical businesses and contractors of this field who are in the UK are largely affected by the Building Regulations Part P. Therefore, if you are related to the electrical installation process in some way or the other, and stay in England and Wales, you must possess some knowledge regarding the regulations of Part P.
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Who needs to follow Part P regulations?
A person involved in the electrical installation job must be sincere that all the Part P regulations regarding electrical safety are met cent percent. Moreover, even before work is started, all the work should be informed to the local authority of building control. There are exceptions in case:
A competent figure authorised for self-certification of work after completion is doing the job
The overall size of the job is small
The scheme of Competent Person is under the government, and if a person can show that all his works meet the building regulations nicely, including the Part P regulations, he may be entitled to self-certify his completed jobs after evaluation. If a person of organization is trying to become a competent authority, every little detail is checked thoroughly before granting the authority.
What does Part P mean?
Part P is actually a combined set of rules regarding electrical safety which are to be followed if fixed electrical installations are done in a building.
The dwellings mentioned below require Part P compliance:
- Dwelling flats as well as houses
- Businesses and dwellings with common supply (for instance, if a chip shop and a fish shop contain a residential flat on top)
- Areas that are commonly accessed in flat blocks (such as corridors or lifts)
- Common flat amenities (like laundry area)
- Outbuildings (for example, greenhouses or sheds)
You may have noticed it already, but in case you missed, note that public places, for instance, university campuses or employment regions, do not have to comply with Part P, since the Electricity at Work Regulations are there to ensure that such buildings adhere to BS 7671, the IEE Wiring Regulations.
Hence, the main purpose of the Part P regulations is to get as many residential places as possible to have standard acceptable safely regulations when it comes to fixed electrical installations. The regulations can change at times, demanding rewriting when it comes to old houses and compliance when new construction is in question.
No matter what electrical work you have in your house, you must make sure that the professionals are totally experienced, and have the Part P compliance certificate. To know everything in depth, be sure to visit the government’s planning portal site.
Changes of Part P regulations as of 2013
Based on a consultation in 2012, the government has decided to change a certain things regarding Part P regulations which came into full effect since 6th of April, 2013. The primary changes were those given below:
- Altering the non-notifying status of a few current projects to notifying
- Authorizing third-party certifiers to be able to certify works carried out by others
- Improved standard set of experiences and qualifications for someone trying to be a qualified supervisor
- Only totally qualified persons are allowed to do notifiable kind of inspection, testing or installation
- Introducing a pre-set route for electricians who are not qualified to become qualified supervisors
The primary goal of the above changes is to allow the possibility of maximum safety. In case you want to know more about these changes, and the ways in which the changes can affect you, visit the planning portal website of the government.