The tragic story of the death of the daughter of Liberal Democrat MP Jenny Tonge from botched electrical wiring in her kitchen (page 7) tells us exactly why the Government is right to take action over the lack of regulations regarding electrical safety in our homes.

The inquest reveals that Mary Wherry’s fitted kitchen contained deadly wiring installed by an unnamed building firm. Electrical experts brought in by the police found that the installation failed to meet the IEE’s Wiring Regulations in several areas, including the use of uninsulated cabling.

While letters on this page show that not all of those in the industry are in agreement over the plans to introduce a new Part P in to the Building Regulations, surely it is time this loophole was closed. It can’t be right that unqualified tradespeople are installing dodgy electrical systems into houses and putting people’s lives at risk.

While it may be true that many incidents in the home are attributable to DIY enthusiasts, sadly many builders or, dare I say it, unqualified “electricians” are also to blame. The real question that people should be asking is how this will be policed, not whether or not it is a worthwhile endeavour.

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor