Part P and its implications

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green-hornet

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Part P and its implications. (Part 1)

Part P is a building regulation brought into effect in 2005; the principle aim was to assist regulation of electrical works within the domestic market. For a long time ministers and scheme providers had reservations about the quality of work with regards to electrical safety in the home. After a tragic accident a bill was passed that overnight affected many working electricians. Unfortunately only electricians realised and answered the call. The builders, kitchen fitters and bathroom fitters totally ignored this legislation, other than a minority who gained limited scope acceptance onto a scheme, and accepted the terms and minimal acceptance for registration.

Most building control officers could only attend a one day course, in which they were expected to spot deviations in any regulation. Obviously if fully seasoned electricians could interpret the regulations differently, then by default, a building control officer is going to struggle.

The implications of this are far reaching, and have indeed given rise to some major concerns over the years. Recently electricians that are registered with one of the various scheme providers for Part P were asked to complete a questionnaire, to assist in providing a measured response to planned improvements to the scheme. The results make good reading, and the general findings are favourable for keeping Part P, but making it more robust in supporting those who are registered, and prosecuting those who choose to ignore it. Upmost must be education to the general public of its existence.

However what are the implications of any survey? If anything is learned could Part P be improved? Will those who have the power decide to use it?

Unfortunately the answers to all the above questions are negative. The implications of the survey are not going to produce any major changes, it does however give an indication on how those on the ground feel that they are being treated, and maybe, at some time those feelings will be heard. I suggest they have already fallen on deaf ears.

Part P will never be improved, especially in this financial climate, there is no money to spend and the forecast in expenditure to improve exposure of Part P alone will run into many millions of pounds.

The scheme providers are not willing to invest heavily into an ill administered government scheme.

Why should they? I know I would not.

As for using power, I am afraid those that be, have no power, this was taken away from them two years ago during a Scottish court case that still implicates English law. There is no way any person in this country can be prosecuted for not being Part P registered, they can even wire a property so that none of the regulations are followed, and still be exempt from prosecution. The only prosecutions you could effectively try for are those under health and safety, and other less obvious statute laws.

Unfortunately for us, this last exercise in Part P consultations, has only been a show of hands from those who are too weak to act, and are very eager to take your hard earned cash, giving nothing in return.

One day a man will stand up and say enough is enough, but it will never be a politician, it has always got to be us.

 
I'm so glad Scotland doesn't have Part P :innocent
Dave, as has been said before Part P per se is not a bad thing and was brought in to improve matters, it would appear to have failed but the intention was good.

Does Scotland not suffer in the same way as England did Pre Part P? I.E. a lack of control over who is doing what. I know things here have not improved but to not have any regulation in place must leave it wide open up there to abuse from all the cowboys.

Do you have some other form of control?

 
I think its about time a man stood up (Like every self employed sparks in the land ) and said we are sick and tired of shelling out hard earned cash for yet more updates to the Regs (that were convieniently left out of the BRB ,say) , or yet another additional qualification to attain , another course to attend, renew your CSCS card yet again, renew your JIB card yet again, join a Part P reg, scheme.

I really appreciate these warnings , when I was told I wouldn't be allowed on a site without CSCS ..... Yeah like when did this jumped up bleedin' office wench ever work on a freezing cold building site anyway FFS.

I think the first time they caught us was with the 14th edition , (as employees back then we only ever bought the guide to the regs,) .So we duly buy the latest edition..........and when we've all got one they bring out the Metric edition, virtually the same thing I think, but all the 3/.029 and 7/.029 cable has changed and 3/4" conduit became 20mm and 2BA screws became 4mm . And we all shelled out again.

The 15th edition became a joke , after initial issue additions and appendixes started to appear at a rapid rate followed by a re-issue with a different colour cover . I remember the NICEIC saying if you have the original (say) Green book with addendments 1-2-3-4 plus special appendix (a) ( we can sell you a folder to put them in ) then you are up to date but much better to buy the new Orange cover Regs which has everything in , then that was superceeded by the Blue cover Regs (Which I still have in the office ).

The 16th was fairly radical but didn't mess about except that we all had shell out college fees to upgrade. 16th was a brown cover. Bringing in more RCD use and split load boards etc.

The 15th was bond everything that doesn't move or doesn't salute you back , blokes were bonding every T bar on the suspended ceilings , metal window frames .

I was shown a photo of a B,ham Council job, it showed one of those round rubber door stops that are screwed to the floor with a half shaped metal cup behind it for strength and yes .... a 2.5mm G/Yell came out of the floor complete with lug and was connected to the metal part. !!! How I wish I had a copy!!!

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I say start a campaign to introduce Part P into Scotland , its only fair !!!
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Scotland does have it's own part pee thingy, called the certificate of conformity. But it ONLY applies to jobs that already need a building warrant (new builds or extensions) and it's also optional. So if you are signed up the the scheme you pay a bit less for your building warrant, if not you pay a little more for the building warrant and the building inspectors inspect the electrical install to ensure it complies with building regs.

But some things, like a full rewire on a flat, need a building warrant.

Nice and simple and above all not a burden (financially or otherwise) on the person doing the work.

We have a system up here that works and is not complicated, so please let's not spoil it by copying Part Pee.

 
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Noz,

No I'm not taking the Pee!

Planning has been devolved, thus the "new" Part P will be England ONLY.

Wales WILL have a different system!

End Of Story.

 
Part P is over rated and left thousands of "fully qualified electricians" out of work. Part P is now more recognised than any other qualification as for JIB for me it is sinking fastly and now more and more general public dont know the difference in a an electrician and Part P ,, its annoying !!! something has to be done !

 
at least it has stopped at lot of homeowners and builders doin electrics, it actually got me alot more work!, i hope it gets alot harder and you have to have a gold JIB card to be registered!

 
at least it has stopped at lot of homeowners and builders doin electrics, it actually got me alot more work!, i hope it gets alot harder and you have to have a gold JIB card to be registered!
It hasn't...........

 
at least it has stopped at lot of homeowners and builders doin electrics, it actually got me alot more work!, i hope it gets alot harder and you have to have a gold JIB card to be registered!
:slap

what a joke,

part P is a badly managed system,

JIB is dead in the water, they are grasping at straws everywhere, they are sinking like the belgrano and they know it.!

Part P could work, but to even give it a chance the defined scope stuff has to stop, you are either an electrician or you are not,! end of.

 
Spot on Stepplington , there should be no defined scope Bathroom and kitchen fitters , if theres electrical work involved , get a sparks in.

I know a bathroom fitter who has been in ELECSA longer than I have, openly addmitted he knew sod all about electrics . Won't get a sparks in as he wants all the money for himself.

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It hasn't...........
Correct, unless the job is under building control, anything goes.

Prime example ..... guy that used to be a counter hand at my wholesalers , leaves and becomes an instant builder, mostly doing up vacant properties, I asked if he wanted me to do their electrics , "Naw, we do it all ourselves"

So they have both suddenly become builders, plumbers, electricians, heating installers etc.

 
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