What Is Part P?

 

Part P Competent Person Schemes like ELECSA were introduced at the same time as Part P to permit firms that had been assessed as sufficiently competent, to self-certify that their work complies with all applicable requirements of the Building Regulations.

Self-certification benefits the householder because by using a Competent Person they don’t have to pay building control fees or submit a building notice. In addition, householders have the important reassurance that by using a Competent Person, they are using a firm that has been independently assessed and certified as competent to carry out the work.

The householder because by using a Competent Person they don’t have to pay building control fees or submit a building notice. In addition, househe the important reassurance that by using a Competent Person, they are using a firm that has been independently assessed and certified as competent to carry out the work.

Part P is a new part of the Building Regulations which has been introduced by government and affects all electrical work carried out in dwellings. Any electrical work carried out in homes and gardens in England and Wales should follow the rules set out in Part P of the Building Regulations to ensure that they are complying with the law. These rules are designed to ensure that electrical work is safe.

Part P has been introduced to

• reduce the number of deaths, injuries and fires caused by faulty electrical installation
• make life harder for 'cowboys' to leave electrical installations in an unsafe condition

To comply with Part P of the Buliding Regulations all electrical work in dwellings must be designed, installed, inspected and tested to the standard required by BS 7671.

The Legal Requirement

The Building Regulations apply when building work is undertaken. Part P will redefine building work to include electrical work on certain types of fixed electrical installation in dwellings. The new requirement in the Building Regulations, ‘Requirement P', is simply that:

• P1 Design, Installation, Inspection and Testing
  Reasonable provision shall be made in the design, installation, inspection and testing of electrical installations in order to protect persons from fire or injury.
• P2 Provision Information
  Sufficient information shall be provided so that persons wishing to operate, maintain or alter an electrical installation can do so with reasonable safety.

Enforcement

Failure to comply with the requirement is a criminal offence. Local authorities also have the power to require the removal or alteration of work that does not comply with the Building Regulations.

Minor work is electrical work not involving the addition of a new circuit, such as the addition of socket outlets or lighting points to existing circuits and the replacement of accessories. Minor works aren't usually notifiable unless the work is in a Special Location.

Special Locations

• locations containing a bath tub or shower basin
• swimming pools or paddling pools
• hot air saunas
• garden lighting or power installations
• solar photovoltaic power supply systems
• electric floor or ceiling heating systems
• extra-low voltage lighting installations, other than pre-assembled, CE- marked lighting sets
• small scale generators such as micro CHP unit

All electrical installation work in such areas (as well as in kitchens) will need to be notified, or self-certified by a prescribed competent person, even if only 'minor works'.

Building Regulation requirements in addition to Part P

Contractors self-certifying compliance with Part P will also have to certify compliance with other relevant parts of the Building Regulations that have been affected by the electrical work.