Our Building Control refuses to accept "minor works" certs from non-NICEIC/SELECT electicians

[ohuk]

So, I have no idea how the NICEIC/SELECT list/registers work but in essence our local Building Control has just struck back with "you can't have a Building Warrant for the absolutely smallest piece of electric work you can have, have a frigging electric bathroom fan installed", unless the electrician is on the NICEIC/SELECT lists?

 

Our electrician has plenty of City and Guilds certs and plenty of experience and does a wiring job look like somebody ran a comb through your hair to just make it look pretty. Maybe the pretty wiring job should be a sign that he is not a real qualified electrician but only a hairdresser dreaming to become an electrician, but unless somebody tells me the true sign of a real electrician is he makes a huge wiring mess, I'm going to trust my young man...

 

In the mean time could somebody please let me know how these certifications and registers work? You get your City and Guilds 2391 plus two others, and you go off wiring up people's houses (major dangerous work like a shower fan, all that water!!!), at what stage does the rest of the Industry trust you? You don't have to join a certain register to prove your competence, right?

 

So how many electricians who are properly certified are actually members of NICEIC/SELECT? And what authority does our Building Control council tax paid workers to demand that they actually are on one those regiaters?

 

 

[Temp]

My understanding is they have to be a member of an "Approved Scheme" to do notifiable work under Part P.

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200135/approved_documents/82/part_p_-_electrical_safety

Not all work is notifiable.

 

So it's a question of which organisations are on the list of Approved Schemes. 

 

See the "check" tab on this page to find out if the company you are using is a member of such a scheme. If they are then BC should be ok with it. Most electricians that are have something about Part P on their van but check anyway..

 

https://www.electricalcompetentperson.co.uk/Choosing-An-Electrician

 

There is a table of Approved schemes on this page and reproduced below...

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/competent-person-scheme-current-schemes-and-how-schemes-are-authorised#how-schemes-are-authorised

 

Quote

Electrical installations

Type of installation	Schemes
In dwellings - installation of fixed low or extra-low voltage electrical installations	BESCA, Blue Flame Certification, Certsure, NAPIT, OFTEC, Stroma
In dwellings - fixed low or extra-low voltage electrical installations as part of other work being carried out by the registered person	APHC, BESCA, Blue Flame Certification, Certsure, NAPIT, Stroma
Buildings other than dwellings - installation of lighting or electrical heating systems	BESCA, Blue Flame Certification,

 
 

 

Edited November 5, 2021 by Temp

[Temp]

I haven checked but my understanding is that a bathroom is a "special location" according to Part P so a bathroom fan is probably notifiable. In practice that means you need an Approved Scheme member to do it and they should notify Building Control.

[ProDave]

I assume as you mention SELECT you are in Scotland?  Important to know as the rules differ between England and Scotland.

 

Just what is the job you are doing that involves building control?

 

You talk about being refused a building warrant (Another Scottish term)  for a bathroom fan.  Nobody is going to apply for a building warrant just for a bathroom fan, so that's why I want to know the scope of the job.

 

In Scotland there is currently no equivalent of Part P (but it is on the way) so any competent electrician can issue a MWC or EIC.  I myself am not registered with any scheme but Highland and Moray council accept an EIC from me for building regs jobs, though I have been told not all councils do.

[TonyT]

As long as you can prove competency in a building control world that’s all that matters.

so a time served electrician with jib-sjib card submitted with certificates should work.

they cannot advise that I scheme is to be used.

[Temp]

15 hours ago, ProDave said:

I assume as you mention SELECT you are in Scotland?  Important to know as the rules differ between England and Scotland

 

Good catch. Think they call them Registered Installers in Scotland.

Edited November 6, 2021 by Temp

[Temp]

Yup, Google suggests they have to be members of SELECT, NICEIC or NAPIT in Scotland.

 

[TonyT]

Or just have a SJIB card in Scotland, which assuming is up to date will prove you are qualified to design and install to the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations