The government announced on 15 July last year that, as soon as competent person self-certification schemes were in place, it would include requirements on electrical safety in dwellings as part p of the building regulations.
Part P of the building regulations on electrical safety was subsequently published on 22 July 2004, giving statutory support to the IEE Wiring Regulations BS 7671 and bringing domestic electrical installations in England and Wales under building regulations control.
This means that, from 1st January 2005, anyone carrying out domestic electrical installation work must comply with Part P. where work is notifiable it must be certificated by a member of a competent person self certification scheme or the work must be notified to the local authority, which will then be responsible for inspecting and testing it for electrical safety. In addition, the members of competent person self-certification schemes must have an appreciation of how the building regulations in general affect the electrical installation and be sufficiently competent to confirm that their work complies with all applicable requirements of the building regulations.
Such requirements include:
Part A – Structure
Part B – Fire Safety
Part C – Site preparation and resistance to moisture
Part E – Resistance to the passage of sound
Part F – Ventilation
Part L – Conservation of Fuel and Power
Part M – Access to and use of buildings
These approved documents may be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (OPDM) at
http://www.odpm.gov.uk/ Failure to comply with the building regulations is a criminal offence and local authorities have the power to require the removal or alteration of work that does not comply with the requirements.
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Scope
Part P Applies to electrical installations or parts of installations in buildings or parts of buildings comprising:
Dwelling houses and flats
Dwellings and business premises that have a common supply - for example shops and public houses with a flat above
Common access areas in blocks of flats such as corridors and staircases
Shared Amenities of blocks of flats such as laundries and gymnasiums
Part P applies also to parts of the above electrical installations:
In or on land associated with the buildings - for example Part P applies to fixed lighting and pond pumps in gardens; in outbuildings such as sheds, detached garages and greenhouses.
How To Comply
The Requirements of Part P will be met by adherence to Chapter 13, 'Fundamental Principles', in BS 7671:2001. These fundamental principles can be achieved by following:
The requirements of BS 7671:2001, and
The Guidance given in installation manuals which are consistent with BS 7671:2001, such as the IEE On Site Guide and IEE Guidance Notes 1 to 7.
What about
NOTIFICATION TO BUILDING CONTROL
ENFORCEMENT
PUBLIC AWARENESS
DIY WORK