What's a "qualified" electrician ...

[jamesberkshire]

... and what certification should I be asking for?

Hi,
Had a builder do some plastering/redecorating which all went ok. Am thinking of getting him to do more work including rewiring. He says he has a "qualified electrician" working for him. I'm keen to do things right so a couple of questions:
1) What qualifications should I be looking for
2) What should I be asking in the way of certification for any work carried out?

Thanks in anticipation
James

 

[DESL]

Check he is on here first

http://www.competentperson.co.uk/

 

[RF Lighting]

Phew, I'm on the list.

Could have been embarrasing

 

[DESL]

I checked myself before posting link!

 

[JohnD]

The questions you ask:

"Is he a member of a Self-Certification scheme?"
"Which one?"
"Will he issue an Installation Completion Certificate?"
"What name does he trade under, so I can look him up?"

 

[DESL]

JohnD

It's all there on the link I posted

 

[Qedelec]

Wow I'm there too. Usefull link I must save it.

 

[TeesdaleSpark]

You can be on the link and not be a qualified electrician. A qualified electrician would have done an apprenticeship and have city and guilds or BTEC or NVQ qualifications.

 

[DESL]

You can be on the link and not be a qualified electrician. A qualified electrician would have done an apprenticeship and have city and guilds or BTEC or NVQ qualifications.

Well whatever - I'm a qualified electrical engineer to HND level with 2381 and 2391 as well as full scope for part P for what it's worth

 

[JohnD]

And you might not be on that list if you were an industrial or other kind of electrician who didn't do domestic work, no matter how well trained and qualified.

 

[Qedelec]

I just checked and a firm I subbed for is not listed although he is Dom Inst. I thought he was a cowboy and he still owes me for the last invoice, yeeha!!

 

[plugwash]

i don't belive the term "qualified electrician" is legally defined.

getting into the part P self certification schemes is now effectively the standard for domestic work, getting into theese schemes typically requires far less in the way of qualifications than the old school crowd think makes you a real electrician but then a lot of things in those "real electricians" qualifications are irrelevent to domestics and officially documented apprenticeships are certainly not the only way of picking up the practical skills that collages and exams fail at.

From your point of view what matters most is that he is in one of the part P self cert schemes so that the work is legal without having to get BC involved, second is a reccomendation from someone who you trust to make that reccomendation (note that it isn't generally in a good tradesmans interests to reccomend or subcontract to bad tradesmen).

 

[jamesberkshire]

Thanks for the help. The main contractor is actually someone I trust but having heard rumours that seemed to suggest you couldn't as much as change a lightbulb these days without getting some sort of approval (OK I exaggerate) I thought it was worth checking.

Self certifiable seems the better option than getting the BC involved bu neither would guarantee against mistakes.

Happy New Year to everyone and thanks
James

 

[comms]

Don't go by this site alone http://www.competentperson.co.uk/

as not all companies/individuals that are registered to part P schemes are listed (yes that includes me i'm still waiting for nic to get their act together after loads of emails/phone calls).

Try this one (I'm sure others will post links to their scheme operators competent person/company listings)

http://www.niceic.org.uk/common/contractor_search.html

 

[ricicle]

It depends which way you look at it.If you are looking for someone to do notifiable work in England and Wales then you would be looking for them to be a member of a scheme where they could self - certify.This could be anyone builder, plumber, kitchen fitter etc.These people might not have the 'old' recognised electrical qualifications eg City and Guilds so does this undervalue these qualifications and the sparks that have them - I think not as although these 'become a spark' in 5 days courses are probably ok and do a job of training guys to do notifiable work in a safe and competant manner, it is the theory behind electricity which you are taught in depth when you do a 'proper' apprenticeship which can give you that bit extra when for example fault finding or understanding querky behaviour from an installation or piece of equipment.
If you are after a spark to do some industrial work then that is a totally diffrent thing.Being a member of a scheme would mean diddly squat.I work in the industrial side and believe me it is competance, knowledge and experience which is the deciding factor in who we employ as sub-contractors when doing industrial work.