Infomation

New Regulations BS7671 17th Edition In terms of the 17th Edition, new technology, equipment and continuing harmonisation means that the time is right for this major change. Electrical contractors need to be aware that if all goes to plan, the 17th Edition will be phased in gradually after its publication in January. After 1 July 2008, all electrical installations, whether industrial, commercial or domestic should be designed, installed, inspected, tested and certified to meet the requirements of BS 7671:2008.     WHAT IS PART P ? Government statistics have shown that around ten people a year die due to unsafe electrical installations in the home. A further 750 are seriously injured. In order to prevent such unnecessary occurrences, the Construction Industry Deregulation Task Force requested that electrical safety standards be added to the Building Regulations. This new Part P section of the building regulations is intended to improve household safety with considerations for electrical design, installing, inspecting and testing. These considerations must be made for both new electrical installations and for alterations. Requirement P is split into two sections: - P1 Design, Installation, Inspection and Testing - P2 Provision Information The Approved Document P details ways in which householders and contractors can comply with new electrical regulations. Part P applies to fixed electrical installations and not to minor works. The Approved Document P covers: Design Installation Testing and Inspection It offers guidance on electrical installing that does not require notification, and includes illustrations and diagrams on the kinds of electrical services your home will receive. It also shows the types of certification and equipment encountered. Part P incorporates all fixed electrical installations in buildings that contain: Dwellings or combined dwellings with business Areas of common access & amenities in flats (excludes lifts) Sheds, garages and other outdoor structures Garden lighting Building Regulations are enforceable whenever any building work is undertaken. Under Part P, building work now includes electrical work on homes or fixed installations. Requirement P applies to fixed electrical installations that operate at low/extra low voltage, as they are not controlled by the Electricity Supply Regulations 1988 (amended), or the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (amended). It is a criminal offence not to comply with Requirement P. Local authorities will be able to remove or change any electrical work that does not meet the Building Regulations, and any planned work must be submitted to the local authority before it can go ahead. The government defined 'Competent Firms' are able to self-certify the standard of their work against the Part P regulations. Competent Firms are Approved Electrical Contractors registered under: Full Scope Schemes The following organisations are authorised to run competent persons self-certification schemes for registered electrical installers who can do all types of electrical installation work in dwellings BRE Certification Ltd British Standards Institute ELECSA Limited NAPIT Certification Limited NICEIC Group Limited Defined Scope The following organisations are authorised to run competent persons self-certification schemes for registered installers who can do electrical work as an adjuct to or arising out of other work. CORGI Services Limited ELECSA Limited NAPIT Certification Limited NICEIC Group Limited OFTEC (Oil Firing Technical Association Limited) Mains Electricity - New Cable Colours As from 31st March 2006, new electrical mains wiring and portable appliance flexible leads will be changing colour. The LIVE and NEUTRAL will change from RED and BLACK to BROWN and BLUE.
Checklist For Portable Electrical Appliance Safety   Yes No Is there damage (apart from light scuffing) to the cable sheath? Is the plug damaged (e.g. the casing cracked or pins bent)? Are there inadequate joints, including taped joints, in the cable? Is the coloured insulation of internal cable cores showing where they enter plug? Does the appliance appear to have been subjected to conditions for which it is not suitable (e.g.. is it wet or excessively contaminated)? Is there damage to the external casing of the equipment or are there loose screws or parts etc? Is there evidence of overheating (e.g.. burn marks or discoloration)? Is the main on/off switch damaged, does it operate incorrectly? If you answered yes to any of the questions take the appliance out of service immediately. Contact us for a planned regular check of all portable appliances..
Who are NAPIT ? NAPIT is an organisation committed to consumer safety in the Domestic, Commercial and Industrial sectors. The whole aim of the organisation is to ensure that through the competence of our Members, consumers can be confident of work that complies with the relevant regulations. We provide a simple, fast search service so that you can find a tradesperson in your area that you know you can rely on. You can also use our Jargon Buster to make sure that you understand the terminology that we use and that our Members use. NAPIT members are active in the Domestic, Commercial and Industrial sectors and members can register and be assessed by NAPIT in the fields of electrical installation, plumbing, heating and ventilation (which includes air conditioning). We operate a comprehensive and rigorous code of practise for our members, but simply abiding by the rules and meeting the regulations isn't the end of the story. A job can be safe, comply with regulations and still be poorly done, which is why NAPIT offer an insurance backed Work Quality Guarantee scheme to give you peace of mind, details of which appear on the certificate issued by us on behalf of our members when the work has been completed. As well as the members who work in commerce and industry, we are also appointed by the government (the Department of Communities and Local Government, CLG) to run competent person schemes for the above trade disciplines, which ensure that work they undertake in the Domestic sector complies with the Building Regulations and can be carried out without you having to notify your local authority building control department. NAPIT issue you with a certificate of compliance for the work carried out and we also update your local authority's records. This will help you with future house sale issues and may be required by future extensions of the home information pack. NAPIT Members working in the domestic sector can choose to sign up to a consumer code of practice that complies with the Government's award winning anti-cowboy TrustMark Scheme and confirms that we provide warranty cover, adjudication & services to protect consumers and resolve disputes. At NAPIT we go those few steps further than the rest. NAPIT was the first Competent Persons Scheme operator and the first Electrical organisation, whose registrants were covered by TrustMark. For all our members, whether working in the Domestic, Commercial or Industrial sectors, our complaints process is straightforward and is focussed on delivering service to consumers and driving improvement in Member performance, we welcome feedback on customer satisfaction, both good and bad. NAPIT also supports the objectives of the Electrical Safety Council which is an independent non-profit-making organisation, registered as a charity; set up to protect the safety of consumers. Supported by all sectors of the electrical industry as well as local and central government, it deals with all electrical safety matters on behalf of consumers, dedicated to improving standards and promoting best practice.