Building Regulations Part P
In January 2005 it became a legal requirement for all domestic electrical installation work to comply with Part P of the Building Regulations. This requirement applies to all fixed electrical installation work in dwellings whether carried out professionally or DIY. Full details of these requirements can be found here. Apart from some minor work all proposed electrical installation work in dwellings must also be notified to Building Control before work commences unless the work is to be undertaken by a prescribed competent person (an individual or a firm) authorised to self-certify on completion of the work. As a registered NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) Domestic Installer JSWilliams Services can self certify its work.
Failure to comply can result in prosecution and a substantial fine. The following links illustrate a couple of examples:-
Safety in the home
According to government statistics, deficient electrical installations result in approximately 10 deaths and over 750 serious injuries each year. Additionally 12,500 fires are attributed to an electrical source of ignition resulting in around 25 deaths and 590 non-fatal injuries.
Over time, electrical installations can become damaged or worn due to general wear and tear, so itÂ’s important to get them inspected and tested to check they are still safe to use. The Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) recommends that domestic installations are checked at least every 10 years. If an installation has been checked before then a notice should be fixed on or near the consumer unit (fuse board) recommending the next inspection date.