In 2005 the Government introduced electrical safety rules into the Building Regulations for England and Wales. Because of this, most fixed electrical installation work in homes must, by law, meet the Building Regulations.
Part P states that anyone carrying out electrical installation work in a home must make sure that the work is designed and installed to protect people from fire and electric shocks.
Part P applies to any changes made to existing installations, including any parts that have been rewired. In April 2013 further changes were introduced, reducing the range of electrical installation work that is notifiable – removing some requirements in kitchens and outdoors.
You can find full details on Part P on the Communities and Local Government website: www.communities.gov.uk
Electricians carrying out work in England and Wales have to comply with Part P of the Building Regulations whereas in Scotland it is the Building Standards system. At the present time Northern Ireland has no equivalent statutory requirement.
The new Approved Document P came into force on 6th April 2013. Its main changes include the simplification of what work is notifiable and the provision of potentially enabling 3rd party sign off for work undertaken. These changes affect England only as Building Regulations has now been devolved and the Welsh government are retaining the current Building Regulations and hence Part P requirements.
Important – We strongly recommend that you use a registered electrician to do any electrical installation work you need. They work to the UK national safety standard and will give you a safety certificate to confirm that their work has been designed, inspected and tested in line with that standard.
Part P – Training
To become Part P qualified you need to obtain City & Guilds 2393. This is designed for electricians and other trades to understand important building requirements and compliance methods with the Certificate in Building Regulations for Electrical Installations in Dwellings. On completion successful candidates will understand how electrical installations in homes can affect the building construction.
Useful Links
Building regulations Part P: electrical safety in dwellings – https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/49996/121217_-_Part_P_IA_-_to_publish_for_web.pdf
Part P on IET website – http://electrical.theiet.org/building-regulations/part-p/faqs.cfm
Part P on Elecrical Safety First – http://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guides-and-advice/building-regulations/england/