8 July 2004 - Home Electric Work and Building Regulation Changes
A range of
new building controls aiming at better, safer buildings and new regulations
for householders and D.I.Y. enthusiasts have been announced by the Office of
the Deputy Prime Minister.
The average deaths from unsafe electrical installations in the home amounts
to 10 people each year with 750 people being seriously injured each year due
to these unsafe installations.
Electrical safety within the home is part of the aims of these new
regulations, by bringing them within the rules of the building regulations,
in a bid to reduce the risks of unsafe installations.
Householders and D.I.Y. enthusiasts will now be required to contact the
building control authorities, or engage a suitably qualified expert for any
major electrical alterations or installations. However, some areas are not
affected by the new regulations, such as replacement of sockets and light
switches, which will not be affected by the changes.
However, the improvement of all buildings, with regards to robustness, for
the avoidance of excessive collapse, in the event of explosions or
accidental events, do have changes within the new building regulations.
Other areas addressed within the changes were the brown-field land, climate
change and extreme weather. New rules, such as ensuring contaminated ground
to be either treated or neutralised before construction of the building and
waterlogged areas to have the provision of subsoil drainage.
Part (P) detailing electrical safety in dwellings, will be available online
within three weeks and comes into force on 1 January 2005.
Part (E) detailing sound insulation, comes into force on 1 July 2004.
Parts (A)&(C) detailing structure, will come into force on 1 December 2004.
Mr Phil Hope, Minister responsible for the Building Regulations commented:
"As part of our drive to deliver communities that people will want to live and work in, we are always looking to make homes safer and improve the way we regulate the construction of new and converted buildings.
"This package of improvements addresses issues that are critical to our success, especially on urban regeneration."
Electrical safety in dwellings (Part P):
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From 1 January 2005 all electrical work in dwellings will need to comply with Part P requirements and be carried out by persons who are competent to do the work
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Small jobs such as replacing a socket-outlet or a light switch on an existing circuit will not need to be notified to a building control body (although there will be some exceptions for high risk areas such as kitchens and bathrooms).
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All work that involves adding a new circuit to a dwelling will need to be either notified to building control, who will then inspect the work, or carried out by a competent person who is registered with a Part P Self-Certification Scheme.
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Persons registered with Part P Self-Certification Schemes will be fully qualified electrical contractors with the ability to thoroughly check a circuit for safety. They will be able to issue Building Regulations certificates of compliance.
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Each year on average 10 people die and about 750 are seriously injured in accidents involving unsafe electrical installations in the home. Risks in future could increase as rising consumer ownership of portable and fixed electrical appliances is causing extra demand for extensions and alterations to existing electrical installations. Much unsatisfactory electrical work is carried out by over-ambitious amateurs.
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Most jobs carried out by DIY'ers will be small jobs that do not need to be notified to building control, but they should still be checked by a competent electrician.
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Part P comes into force on 1st January 2005.
Copies of the changes to the Parts A, C & E Regulations are available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister web site.
Article by Alexandra Johnston
