The long-running saga that is the introduction of electrical safety guidelines into the Building Regulations is inching forward.
The ECA and electrical industry’s tireless campaigning seems finally to be paying dividends. The proposed Part P Electrical Safety is destined, at the time of going to press, to be put out for public consultation in February.

The consultation document is expected to make a reference to to the IEE’s Wiring Regulations (BS 7671) under the Building Regulations in England and Wales.

If ratified, the new Building Regulations Part P would be a boon for ECA and NICEIC members in the battle against cowboy contractors, as it is expected to include proposals that electrical contractors self-certify their installations. Contractors affiliated to the two bodies are deemed competent to do this by virtue of the technical inspections, which form part of their assessment criteria.

New electrical safety requirements in the proposed Part P will be limited to dwellings. Other electrical installations are mostly covered by the Electricity at Work Regulations.