So finally the lawmen are catching up with the cowboys. A year after the introduction of electrical safety into the Building Regulations in the controversial form of Part P, the prosecutions are starting to hit those ignoring the legislation.

As EMC goes to press, the number of firms fined stands at just four; expect many more in the weeks and months ahead. A visit to any Part P web forum is enough to convince the powers that be that the law is being flouted; the prosecutions should cause the cowboys to take notice.

While Part P starts to take hold, prepare yourselves for the introduction of self-certification under the new Part L of the Building Regulations. Yes, m&e contractors will now have to prove themselves competent to install energy-efficient building services equipment such as hvac, lighting and controls if they wish to self-certify their work. Once again, the scheme operators are jostling for position. Watch this space as the ECA, HVCA, NICEIC and CORGI fight for market share.

As our feature on the new breed of sustainable speculative developer shows , a display of competence in the environmental arena could prove to be very useful indeed.

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor