The move follows growing evidence of an increased risk of injury from electrical installations. "Each year an average of ten people die and 756 are seriously injured in accidents involving unsafe fixed electrical installations in the home," stated health and safety minister Alan Whitehead at the launch of the consultation document for Part P, the proposed alteration of the Building Regulations to account for this problem.
Electrical accident rates in dwellings now compare with those for carbon monoxide poisoning, gas explosions and collisions with glass, all of which are covered by the Regulations.
Reasons for the rise in accident rates are numerous: the increased use of electrical appliances and systems in homes; the 1988 privatisation of the electricity supply industry; and the increasing popularity of do-it-yourself have been cited as causes.
Following the privatisation of the electricity supply industry, many companies do not insist on testing new consumer installations before connection to the supply or after they are altered, eliminating one of the previous checkpoints.
The risk of electric shock and fires caused by faults in fixed installations and portable appliances has also increased over recent years says the Government.
Many of these accidents are preventable, as they are caused by incompetent extension and alteration work or the use of systems that do not comply with British Standards.
The consultation proposals were developed in response to the Construction Industry Deregulation Task Force's 1995 report, which recommended that the Building Regulations address electrical safety; it also urged that the administrative burden on builders should be rationalised.
"Voluntary controls which have served us well for many decades no longer cover the substantial proportion of installation work that is undertaken privately for gain or by DIY enthusiasts," explained Whitehead.
"These proposals are good news for business. They will raise standards of competence in the industry in line with our aim of creating a better qualified workforce. New rules allowing self-certification of compliance by competent organisations will be applied," said Whitehead. "This means work by 'competent persons' will not need to be notified, making administration simpler for building controllers and installers and encouraging contractors to prove their competence."
The Government is concerned that few installers are members of the ECA or on the NICEIC roll. Of the estimated 61 000 electrical contracting firms in England and Wales, only around 13 000 are allied to the two organisations.
The proposed changes
The proposals involve improving the design, installation, inspection and testing of electrical installations in dwellings when they are being newly installed, extended or altered.
The objective is to increase the number of fixed electrical installations in dwellings that comply with accepted safety standards. This means more emphasis on trained personnel carrying out the work and/or safety checks on its completion.
With the relatively low numbers participating in ECA or NICEIC schemes, adding the requirement to the Building Regulations has been deemed the best way to ensure practices change. The intended effect of this addition is to improve the average level of competence and responsibility of those undertaking electrical work, raise awareness of the dangers of electricity, and reinforce the existing voluntary controls on the risk of death and injury caused by electrical accidents.
The proposals are limited to fixed electrical installations to complement rather than overlap existing legislation such as the Electricity Supply Regulations 1988 and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, as these are considered to be effective in controlling the safety of installations up to a dwelling's meter or isolating switch. The final Approved Document P will give guidance on how to comply in accordance with BS 7671: 2001.
Self-certification
The consultation document states that contractors will be required to carry out inspection and testing during, as well as after, installation. The Government is proposing to allow competent firms to self-certify their work.
A Competent Firms provision allows scheme members to improve their competitiveness by avoiding much of the administrative burdens of inspections. Such people can self-certify that their work meets the requirements of the Building Regulations. The alternative would be to pay for the work to be inspected by a local authority building control department or an approved inspector or agent.
A person would be deemed competent on the basis of membership of an approved scheme whose conditions include complying with BS 7671 and ensuring that staff are properly trained and qualified.
The electrical industry has developed specifications for the criteria for such an assessment scheme and has consulted on its proposals – the Electrotechnical Assessment Scheme (EAS) which went out to consultation in early 2000.
The EAS was developed by a working group of the Electrical Installation Industry Liaison Committee, which includes the ECA and the NICEIC, and provides industry-recognised technical assessment and certification. The working group has been piloting the scheme in anticipation of the introduction of self-certification.
The ECA has welcomed the Government's proposals for increased safety and professionalism in the industry. Director David Pollock commented: "We welcome the moves to raise the standards for electrical installation quality and competence and the new rules for self-certification. These complement the development of the Electrotechnical Assessment Scheme (EAS) for the assessment and certification of electrical contractors and installers."
Agencies wishing to offer EAS assessment services will have to seek UKAS accreditation to European standard EN 45 011. BRE Certification is the first to receive such accreditation.
Until the consultation exercise has been completed, nothing can be taken for granted regarding the criteria necessary for self-certification. A government spokesperson stated at the launch of the Part P consultation document: " The ECA has stated that [the EAS] is fully fledged and already claim that it's enough to satisfy the Secretary of State, but no decision has been made on that yet. In due course, should there be a legal requirement, candidature of this and other schemes will be looked at."
The consultation document does however refer to the EAS as "on trial" with the aim of having a system in place to respond to the Government's initiative and in advance of the possible Part P.
"NICEIC and ECA firms will not automatically be declared as competent persons," the spokesperson warned.
Costs of compliance
The introduction of Part P would impose costs on contractors. Calculated likely costs to individuals are unavailable from the Government, but under BRE Certification the costs for a one-day visit to gain accreditation to the EAS is set to be £465. Any additional days needed to achieve certification to the scheme will cost £400 each.
The likely costs to industry as a whole are highlighted in Tables 1 and 2. The costs to contractors are determined as recurring and non-recurring. Recurring costs are defined as the initial costs to acquaint staff with the new provisions and recruit and invest in training as needed. Recurring costs account for administrative costs incurred when issuing and archiving self-certification certificates. These are likely, it is stated, to be lower than if separate certification were sought.
The costs in Table 1 were calculated by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and take into account BSRIA surveys of the number and types of jobs undertaken by electrical contractors. The values are given in today's prices using discounted cash flow analysis. Basically the amount of money that would be put in now to cover all costs over the next five years, rather than the actual final figure, using the standard Treasury 6% discount rate. This is done says the spokesperson "so contractors can make comparisons with other potential investments."
The increase in costs is likely to be passed on to consumers, although self-certification will mean reduced building control fees, limiting these rises. Firms can trade as non-competent persons, but then fees for outside inspection will apply.
The proposed amendments to the Building Regulations have already been subject to consultation with the Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC) appointed by the Secretary of State as advisers on matters affecting construction.
A 20% reduction in electric shock fatalities is predicted as realistic if the changes are implemented. The reduction in non-fatal injuries is expected to be 10%. In addition, the BRE reported to the DTLR that around 21% of fires associated with fixed electrical installations could be prevented by application of the proposed regulations.
Part P in brief
A Government review into electrical safety following recommendations from the Construction Industry Deregulation Task Force sees their proposed introduction into the Building Regulations for England and Wales, bringing them in line with the Scottish Regulations. Any changes will be covered under a new requirement to Schedule one of the Regulations and an Approved Document (Part P), which will be published following approval of the consultation document currently under review. The aim is to ensure the safe design, installation and testing of all fixed electrical installations in dwellings. The addition has been linked with the initiative to enable competent organisations to self-certify compliance with the Regulations. The definition of a competent organisation has yet to be fully established, but it is likely to be based around the Electrotechnical Assessment Scheme. Work undertaken by competent persons will not need additional certification to comply with the regulations. Part P and the Electrotechnical Assessment Scheme will be the subject of a seminar due to be held at the IEE on 15 July. The Building Regulations 2000: Proposals for new safety requirements for electrical installation work in dwellings can be viewed on the DTLR web site at www.safety.dtlr.gov.uk/ bregs/conindex.htm. Paper copies are available from DTLR Free Literature on tel: 0870 122 6236. Responses are requested by 13 September 2002. Following this and after a period of reconsideration the scheme is to be put before the Building Regulations Advisory Board. It is expected to come into effect mid-2003.Source
Electrical and Mechanical Contractor
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