When an apartment undergoes heavy rewiring, should it by law receive a certificate of safety? Is the legally electrician obliged to produce this as evidence that the works comply with regulations.
Is a safety certificate required for electrical rewiring?
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ANY electrical work should be designed, installed and tested in accordance with the relavent regulations (typically BS7671).
The information regarding the works and the test results and other information should be recorded on an Electrical Installation Certificate.
ALL electrical work must comply with Building Regulations Part P (Electrical Safety).
Some electrical work (including new consumer units, new circuits and rewires) must be notified to the Local Authority. This is a legal requirement.
The information regarding the works and the test results and other information should be recorded on an Electrical Installation Certificate.
ALL electrical work must comply with Building Regulations Part P (Electrical Safety).
Some electrical work (including new consumer units, new circuits and rewires) must be notified to the Local Authority. This is a legal requirement.
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There are four documents you must get some of them and you should get some of them they are as follows.
Minor Works Certificate this is the minimum you should get for any electrical work but not a legal requirement but is required by the regulations (BS7671)
Installation Certificate this is for larger work than above and when issued you will not get a minor works but not a legal requirement but is required by the regulations (BS7671)
Compliance certificate this is issued were the work has been registered through a scheme with local authority. Legal requirement.
Completion certificate his is issued were the work has been registered direct with local authority. Legal requirement.
Although the first two are not legal requirements in one way they are in another since Part P says that work should be carried out to BS7671 or similar I can't be certain as I am not able to read other languages but I think all the similar to BS7671 regulations also require similar paperwork to be completed.
What I have said applies to England and Wales but there may be different names in Scotland etc.
The items which require Compliance or Completion certificates vary between England and Wales. The IET regulations are nation wide.
For an electrician not to issue a compliance or completion certificate where required could be due to a miss understanding as the completion certificate is issued by the local authority which if they are required to be notified should be notified by the owner although in most cases the electrician will do it for the owner. Where other building work is being done at the same time it is possible that the electrician does not realise the owner wants him to contact the local authority.
However he will also realise that the owner will need the minor works or installation certificate for him to notify the local authority so where these have not been issued then clearly the electrician is doing some thing wrong.
There are some jobs where to issue a minor works would take longer than to do the job.
My mother had a door bell transformer swapped 8vac to 12vdc 4 wires and two wood screws plus bypass original bell and connect new door push. Had everything gone according to plan then it would have taken longer to open consumer unit and read the details from protective device work out earthing type and measure the insulation resistance and fill in form then do the job. And 99 % of the work was extra low voltage.
As it transpired he had to fit a socket then plug the transformer in which then mean there was really a need to complete the paperwork but he still did not make any out.
With my water leak I watched the electrician measuring the loop impedance as he replaced the lights but still no paper work.
In theory in both cases I could have asked for it but it would not have made the house any safer and would have just added cost to the job.
So there has to be a little common sense. With major works where new circuits are provided or consumer units fitted then one would expect an installation certificate. Likely this would also mean a compliance certificate if the electrician was a scheme member or either the owner or the electrician would need to supply the LABC with the installation certificate to get the completion certificate.
However the paper does not make it safe and where not a scheme member one is talking about 100's of pounds to get the paper work and it is up to the owner to ensure it is done not the electrician.
So one has to be careful as it could cost to get paper work which is missing.
Minor Works Certificate this is the minimum you should get for any electrical work but not a legal requirement but is required by the regulations (BS7671)
Installation Certificate this is for larger work than above and when issued you will not get a minor works but not a legal requirement but is required by the regulations (BS7671)
Compliance certificate this is issued were the work has been registered through a scheme with local authority. Legal requirement.
Completion certificate his is issued were the work has been registered direct with local authority. Legal requirement.
Although the first two are not legal requirements in one way they are in another since Part P says that work should be carried out to BS7671 or similar I can't be certain as I am not able to read other languages but I think all the similar to BS7671 regulations also require similar paperwork to be completed.
What I have said applies to England and Wales but there may be different names in Scotland etc.
The items which require Compliance or Completion certificates vary between England and Wales. The IET regulations are nation wide.
For an electrician not to issue a compliance or completion certificate where required could be due to a miss understanding as the completion certificate is issued by the local authority which if they are required to be notified should be notified by the owner although in most cases the electrician will do it for the owner. Where other building work is being done at the same time it is possible that the electrician does not realise the owner wants him to contact the local authority.
However he will also realise that the owner will need the minor works or installation certificate for him to notify the local authority so where these have not been issued then clearly the electrician is doing some thing wrong.
There are some jobs where to issue a minor works would take longer than to do the job.
My mother had a door bell transformer swapped 8vac to 12vdc 4 wires and two wood screws plus bypass original bell and connect new door push. Had everything gone according to plan then it would have taken longer to open consumer unit and read the details from protective device work out earthing type and measure the insulation resistance and fill in form then do the job. And 99 % of the work was extra low voltage.
As it transpired he had to fit a socket then plug the transformer in which then mean there was really a need to complete the paperwork but he still did not make any out.
With my water leak I watched the electrician measuring the loop impedance as he replaced the lights but still no paper work.
In theory in both cases I could have asked for it but it would not have made the house any safer and would have just added cost to the job.
So there has to be a little common sense. With major works where new circuits are provided or consumer units fitted then one would expect an installation certificate. Likely this would also mean a compliance certificate if the electrician was a scheme member or either the owner or the electrician would need to supply the LABC with the installation certificate to get the completion certificate.
However the paper does not make it safe and where not a scheme member one is talking about 100's of pounds to get the paper work and it is up to the owner to ensure it is done not the electrician.
So one has to be careful as it could cost to get paper work which is missing.
It is if the work is notifiable.
It is not dependent on the type of electrical certificate issued but whether the work is notifiable.
It is not dependent on the type of electrical certificate issued but whether the work is notifiable.
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As I am sure you are aware there is a big discussion going on as to the meaning of phrases like "New Circuit" so as to if work is notifiable is at the moment a problem.
What exactly is heavy rewiring I have spent a lot of time repairing rat damage but nothing I did would require anything more than a minor work certificate but I could well see some one describing it as heavy rewiring.
However one would expect some paperwork with all electrical work but as question is "by law" and this is where the problem lies.
I would interpret Part P as making the issuing of at least a Minor Works Certificate law.
As a result I would not like to say a law has been broken although likely there is a breach of Part P regulations.
What exactly is heavy rewiring I have spent a lot of time repairing rat damage but nothing I did would require anything more than a minor work certificate but I could well see some one describing it as heavy rewiring.
However one would expect some paperwork with all electrical work but as question is "by law" and this is where the problem lies.
I would interpret Part P as making the issuing of at least a Minor Works Certificate law.
As a result I would not like to say a law has been broken although likely there is a breach of Part P regulations.
Apart from the lists provided which apply to all electrical work, there may be requirements for other purposes. Apartment can mean a number of things from a completely self contained flat with separate entrance to a what is by law a HMO. You would need to check with the LA to find out the status of the apartment and whether there are any notices or registration requirements.
Maybe he's using lead sheathed cables?
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