Qualifications?

[J_N30]

Some years ago I was aware of part qualifications where you could legally do things such as lighting, sockets, fuse spurs but not as involved as rewires.

Does anyone know what I'm on about, is it still available and how would I go about getting it?

 

[ericmark]

To do electrical work one must possesses sufficient technical knowledge, relevant practical skills and experience for the nature of the electrical work undertaken and be able at all times to prevent danger and, where
appropriate, injury to him/herself and others.

It does not say you must have passed a XYZ exam. However where one needs to prove to others for example an insurance company that you possessed these skills then having some written certificate helps.

Most people will expect all electricians to have C&G 2382 or at least C&G 2381 (For old wiring regs) which shows you can read. There are qualifications to show you can inspect and test three separate exams. The "inspection and testing of in service electrical equipment" can't remember C&G number is very simple and is referred to as PAT testing and there are many non electrical people who have taken this exam so they can use a PAT tester and show to the HSE they have been trained. However the C&G 2391 is far more complicated and so many people failed thy brought out a cut down version called the C&G 2392.

But any qualification even the Amateur radio exam which shows knowledge can be used to show you have skill. It is really dependent on who to and why you need to prove it.

If you make a mistake and someone is injured it is had to prove that "able at all times to prevent danger and, where appropriate, injury to him/herself and others." As clearly that was not the case. Unless of course you intended to injure some one!

There are four levels.
Ordinary person.
Instructed person.
Skilled person.
Competent person.

And for each job you will fall into one of the categories. And you can swap from one to other according to job being done. Oddly on some jobs I was the Competent person and my boss was just the Skilled person. In fact sometimes my boss was an Ordinary person. Where this is the case the electrician can and should override a superiors instructions where electrical safety is concerned. In the real world not quite that easy but legally you are responsible and he told me to do it does not get you off the hook.

 

[dingbat]

Some years ago I was aware of part qualifications where you could legally do things such as lighting, sockets, fuse spurs but not as involved as rewires.

Does anyone know what I'm on about, is it still available and how would I go about getting it?

There has never been any such thing, although there are plenty of rumours that such courses exist.

Some colleges have run courses for DIY-ers, in the past, in a number of different construction skills, but none carry a qualification as such and would be foolish to claim they did.

I doubt whether any college would now run a DIY electrical course.

 

[riveralt]

This course by City and Guilds covers the elements of electrical installation you refer to:

http://www.cityandguilds.com/1807.html

As regards legality - - it is not yet illegal for you to do electrical work at home. It is only illegal if you decide to complete electrical work that falls under Part P etc of the Building Regulations and fail to notify the Local Authority.
Any work you do, whether requiring notification or not, should comply with Part P and other relevant parts of the Building Regulations and BS7671:2008.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

robo123

Joined: 12 Jul 2008
Posts: 56
Location: Aberdeenshire,
United Kingdom
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There are laws governing what he can do with/without needing a Building Warrant, but they aren't the same as the ones in E&W.