Electrical Part P – When To Notify and When Not!
It’s been just over six years since the new rules were incorporated into the Building Regulations which redined the installation and modification of electrical wiring.
Known as ‘Part P’, these rules specifically enforce all ‘notifiable’ electrical work to meet legal safety standards for electrical wiring. The rules state that to ensure these standards are met, all work must either be carried out by certified electricians or the work must be tested to the satisfaction of the local Building Control Department.
This is is particularly important to know for all those who wish to enter the industry and train to be a fully qualified electrician.
Not all electrical courses have Part P included in the training, and electricians not Part P registered will be restricted in their future working prospects by being prevented to undertake a number of key electrical tasks.
The City & Guilds Electrical NVQ 2330, is the standard entry course required before progressing onto the full NVQ 2356 Level 3. There are also different combinations of courses that can be undertaken to gain elegibility for Part P registration, from a 13 day beginner course to a three week course. Also, fully qualified electricians who require Part P can enroll onto a short 2393 course.
Be aware that the Part P also applies to DIY activities, and anyone carrying out DIY changes which are notifiable have to submit a building notice to the local authority before starting work and pay the fee to have the work inspected and tested.
Failure to comply with these rules is a criminal offence which can lead to a fine of up to £5,000. Furthermore, problems may be encountered when trying to sell a property which has had notifiable electrical work carried out but for which the appropriate certificate cannot be produced.
Non-notifiable electrical work - which can be carried out by a non-certified individual without notification, but for which the individual does need to be competent, covers:
• Replacement of fittings such as sockets, switches and light fittings.
• Replacement of the cable for a single circuit where it has been damaged.
• Work that is not in the bathroom or kitchen and consists of:
- Adding additional lighting, light fittings and switches, to an existing circuit.
- Adding additional sockets and fused spurs to an existing ring or radial main.
• Installing additional earth bonding.
All ‘non-notifiable electrical work’ is conditional upon the use of suitable cable and fittings for the application, that the circuit protective measures are unaffected and suitable for protecting the new circuit, and that all work complies with all other appropriate regulations.
Notifiable electrical work – which is all other work that must either be carried out by fully qualified, Part P certified individuals/companies or notified to the local Building Control before work begins, includes:
• All new or modifications to the electrical wiring within bathrooms or shower rooms.
• Installation or modification of electric underfloor or ceiling heating.
• Garden lighting or power installation.
Other specialist electrical installation, examples being, Photovoltaic Solar Systems and micro CHP (Combined Heat and Power) power systems.
