If you’re looking at doing electrical work in your home or office, you will more than likely have heard about the Part PElectrician scheme.
In 1965, the UK government began introducing rules and regulations to ensure a certain safety standard was adhered to in the construction of buildings, structures, drainage, ventilation, and more. These set of regulations produced several rule books and documents, designated A to R. These books provided guidance on how different construction professionals can meet the regulations in the course of their work. Electrical Part P is the designated rulebook P that contains relevant electrical safety requirements.
Part P was introduced in 2005 and lays out a number of safety regulations, governing electrical installation and maintenance in England and Wales.It is essentially a document which contains all the rules and regulations that electrical contractors must comply with when carrying out electrical installation or repair works in residences and homes.
From the above explanation, we can understand that a Part P Electrician is an electrical contractor who is trained and certified to carry out electrical installation, repair and maintenance on buildings in England and Wales; they are also able to self-certify that the electrical work in question is completed in accordance with the Part P guidelines. The Part P document provides a set of guidelines which electrical contractors can use to self-certify their work. It essentially contains the British standard wiring regulations that an electrician must follow during installation, repair or maintenance.
Small electrical related jobs – such as adding an extra wall socket or light switch – don’t require the services of a Part P Electrician. However, high risk areas such as the bathroom, kitchen and boiler room will need a Part P electrical contractor or an electrician who is registered with a Part P self-certification scheme.
As a home owner or tenant, it is your duty to ensure any electrical work undertaken in your home is either completed by an electrical contractor registered under the competent person scheme or certified by one. Under the Part P Building Regulations, even DIY electrical projects and work carried out by non-registered contractors should be checked and certified by an electrical contractor, registered with a self-certification scheme. As it stands, you are ultimately responsible for the quality of electrical work undertaken in your home and should make sure it complies with Part P rules.
Of course, you can always hire an unregistered electrical contractor for any electrical work in your home, but you’ll either have to apply to the Building Regulations Board or have a member of an electrician’s Competent Persons Scheme certify that the work is up to standard and subsequently issue a certificate to that effect.
However, it’s easier to simply use a Part P electrician when you need electrical work done in your house. Fortunately, you can find the right one by poring over theCompetent Persons Scheme register. This way, you won’t need to apply to any building regulation authority, as the individual you will be hiring is fully authorised to carry out the relevant electrical work in your home.
The aim of Electrician Part P is to ensure the safety of electrical installation in homes in England and Wales and to eliminate the risk of fire, electrocution and any other injury that can occur as a result of incorrect electrical installations.