NICEIC certificates or your own?

[Voltimax]

Evening all,

This is a question to all those registered with the NICEIC.

Do you guys use their certificates, or are there any contractors here that use their own? I ask because when I was with the NICEIC before Napit, I bought their pads and used Easycert to fill them in. When I joined Napit I bought a couple of their pads of certs and took an instant disliking to them and so made my own in excel. Well now I'm back with the NICEIC and I know you don't have to use their certs, but in my area, all NICEIC contractors use NICEIC produced certs. In fact I can only think of one out of the many I know, that doesn't.

So, is anyone here NICEIC registered that doesn't use their certs and if so, does the assessor give you a hard time about it? I know they prefer you to use their own.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

http://www.talk.electricianforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=10947

 

[Voltimax]

Thanks for the link slipshod. I know both you and KME use easycert, but do you use it just to overprint purchased NIC certs, or do you actually use the built in certs?

 

[green-hornet]

I use easycert I overprint and use the templates depending on how I feel. The assessor last visit asked why I did not use the NICEIC software, I just said cost plus having to buy cert numbers etc.

I know my assessor prefers the NICEIC certs but not a lot he can say if the template is the one provided.

 

[Andy™]

i use my own. usually model forms from 7671, sometimes an NCR pad. assessor why i dont use theirs, just told him id rather use my own, and i doubt i could use the elecsa ones anyway for commercial stuff

 

[ElectekAir]

I Use NIC ones because I have the NIC software.

Just before the 17th i had

 

[Andy™]

i wouldnt even 'buy' the numbers

 

[kme]

I use their certs, and also the built in templates - mainly for irregulars like em lighting, fire alarms design/acceptance/commisioning/whatever else the other one is, as I don`t use them as much as IMNs/ISNs/DPNs

When I do the sub-work on the hotels, NIC certs are the only thing they accept - so if I want their work, I use NIC certificates. Plus, IMPO, they look more professional.

KME

 

[green-hornet]

I agree, had a few of them wanting only NICEIC certs and not forms based on them I think they like the red. I have to go AC this year because more and more of my work is commercial or industrial, when I tell them the story behind the non red certs they understand(mostly), but I am sick of explaining myself.

 

[odawire]

Hi, I was just thinking this through today, Im a DI with the NICEIC and as metioned people like the "red" certificates. Is there anything stopping me making my own certificates, putting the NICEIC logo on them (terms and conditions allow use of logo on all stationary) and them making them red?

Also can anyone confirm wether I need to buy cert numbers if im using my own?

 

[Cirrus]

As a DI I don't think you are entitled to use red certs and the purple ones exists purely for us. As for cert numbers, you can create your own as long as they are unique and not duplicated.

 

[Doc Hudson]

Hi, I was just thinking this through today, Im a DI with the NICEIC and as metioned people like the "red" certificates. Is there anything stopping me making my own certificates, putting the NICEIC logo on them (terms and conditions allow use of logo on all stationary) and them making them red?Also can anyone confirm wether I need to buy cert numbers if im using my own?

That would be the use of the NICEIC Domestic installer logo, not just the NIC logo on its own. If you did your own design certificates I cannot see how anyone can state what colours you can or cant use, but if they are clearly trying to mimic the NICEIC approve contractor certificates I think you would be in trouble when it came round to assessment time. If you were using the green certificates they do not come with any serial numbers, so you can choose to use whatever reference number is suitable. So if designing you own certificates you can pick a numbering scheme that suits you.

Doc H.

 

[NozSpark]

Hi, I was just thinking this through today, Im a DI with the NICEIC and as metioned people like the "red" certificates. Is there anything stopping me making my own certificates, putting the NICEIC logo on them (terms and conditions allow use of logo on all stationary) and them making them red?Also can anyone confirm wether I need to buy cert numbers if im using my own?

People like the "red" certificates because that shows that the person who has done the work is an approved contractor and not a domestic installer.

The logo that domestic installers are allowed to use is significantly different to the approved contractor ones, you are not allowed to use the approved contractor ones.

There is nothing to stop you making your certificates whatever colour you want, but passing them off as the NICEIC "red" ones would be fraud.

As said by others, you can make up your own certificate numbers... Before using the Red NCR forms I used to put the date in reverse as my serial number followed by a -1, -2, etc for when I'd issued more than 1 cert in a day

 

[M107]

I dont use NICEIC certs, I do use easycert & change the font colour for the background to purple & add the NICEIC DI logo in the "company logo" section, the DI logo the appears on the cert.

Never had the assessor say a word about them.

 

[odawire]

Thanks for the replies, im in the process of designing my own certs, I obviously wouldnt use the AC logo as I cant, and I agree that it feels like im sailing close to the wind making them look like the red ones, Im gonna give it some thought, thanks again

 

[rujebogdy]

I have the pir software which is in niceic format but I can remove the niceic logo and ad my one. My question is if I can use the red background firms for pir ,removing the nic logo? Cheers

 

[Andy™]

yes

 

[Bacon]

Use what ever colour you want NICEIC haven't got a trademark on Red or copyright on certs.

 

[rujebogdy]

Oh,brilliant. Thanx. I thought that if I have the software will look more professional to use it rather than download the forms in black and fill them by hand. I don't want to reproduce them as niceic but unfortunately that is the only color I have got set up. Thanx for your input

 

[NozSpark]

Use what ever colour you want NICEIC haven't got a trademark on Red or copyright on certs.

They have on their certs though