Certificate of competency

[rodgearing]

What is it and what does it involve getting one.
I am a qualified leccy to the 16th edition of the regs.
For the last ten years I have been living in France as a card carrying leccy.
I am in the throes of having an extension built on to our bungalow and will be doing the electrics myself.
We have just had to return the 'start up' form to the building regs people. The bottom bit of the form asks who is doing the electrics ie what company or if its not a company does the person doing the work have a certificate of competency.
So what is this certificate and how does one get I get one?
I have been on to the buildings regs site and it says
Quote:

• Competent persons who only infrequently carry out work in domestic premises need not register with a competent persons self-certification scheme. However if they are not registered they must notify building control before carrying out the work and should meet all of the requirements of BS 7671 regarding design, installation, inspection and testing, and certification.
  
• DIY electrical work is not to be encouraged, however where a householder wishes to carry out electrical work they must notify building control before commencing work. Building control will arrange for the work to be, inspected and tested at various stages and will charge a fee to cover any costs incurred.

There is no requirement to join a scheme. It will be perfectly acceptable to submit building notices to the local authority. It will be a matter for each individual electrical contracting firm to decide which of the above two routes to compliance would be best for their business.

So??

 

[Guitarist]

Basically, if you are not a member of a competent person scheme (part P registered), then you must get your local building control involved in any notifiable electrical work, and they will sign it off. This will cost a fee which varies between councils.
Btw, we work to the 17th edition of the regs now (1st amendment).

To join a CPS you will need several things, including the C&G 17th edition certificate, 2 million pounds public liability, calibrated test equipment, plus numerous other things. You also have to have notifiable work to show them for your half-day assessment.
The 3 main scheme providers are Elecsa, NICEIC and NAPIT. If you look on their websites, you will see what is needed.

 

[rodgearing]

Yes I know that todays leccys work to the 17th edition so is that a problem me being qualified to the 16th edition?
I thought it was just a matter of buying a 17th edition and boning up on the amendments what ever they are.
Electricity is electricity.
OK so geezer turns up to inspect and sign off so whats he inspecting?
Yes I know he's doing instalation checks but he must check specifics?

 

[Guitarist]

Yes I know that todays leccys work to the 17th edition so is that a problem me being qualified to the 16th edition?
I thought it was just a matter of buying a 17th edition and boning up on the amendments what ever they are.
Electricity is electricity.
OK so geezer turns up to inspect and sign off so whats he inspecting?
Yes I know he's doing instalation checks but he must check specifics?

You seem to have it all sorted then

 

[rodgearing]

You seem to have it all sorted then

Not necessarily thats why I asked the question.
So anyone qualified to the 16th edition and no longer able to do leccy work then is that what you are saying?
I'm happy doing the work I just don't want some jobsworth giving me grief.
So does that mean If I need a cert of competence I have to be a millionaire?

 

[yellowvanman]

If you don't know the 17th Ed Wiring regulations then you may not install correctly - things have changed!

If you chose to do it then as you have found out you must tell building control, and then with the fee you pay them they will get another electrician to test/inspect your work. In some cases you fees don't cover the BC costs so they may not even send an electrician out.

You can always call BC and discuss, explain your experience etc.

 

[rodgearing]

If you don't know the 17th Ed Wiring regulations then you may not install correctly - things have changed!

If you chose to do it then as you have found out you must tell building control, and then with the fee you pay them they will get another electrician to test/inspect your work. In some cases you fees don't cover the BC costs so they may not even send an electrician out.

You can always call BC and discuss, explain your experience etc.

OK so things change.
I'm wiring up a kitchen and utility room.
The kitchen is having a dedicated ring mainin 2.5 TWE. Sockets at work top level powered by 32 amp MCB.
Dedicated cooker circuit 16 mm with 40 amp MCB. Utility room for freezer dedicated circuit of 2.5 TWE with 16 or 20 amp MCB. Washing machine the same dedicated circuit 2.5 TWE with 16 or 20 amp MCB.
Storage heater circuit again 2.5 TWE with 20 amp MCB.Lighting is already there as it was a sun room before its conversion but may be re vamped in 1.5 TWE to the existing lighting circuit.
I shall earth bond the water pipes back to the source.
Missed anything?

 

[yellowvanman]

OK so things change.
I'm wiring up a kitchen and utility room.
The kitchen is having a dedicated ring mainin 2.5 TWE. Sockets at work top level powered by 32 amp MCB.
Dedicated cooker circuit 16 mm with 40 amp MCB. Utility room for freezer dedicated circuit of 2.5 TWE with 16 or 20 amp MCB. Washing machine the same dedicated circuit 2.5 TWE with 16 or 20 amp MCB.
Storage heater circuit again 2.5 TWE with 20 amp MCB.Lighting is already there as it was a sun room before its conversion but may be re vamped in 1.5 TWE to the existing lighting circuit.
I shall earth bond the water pipes back to the source.
Missed anything?

RCD protection for all sockets (although you can omit for specifically labelled sockets that supply specific appliance(s) eg. freezer) and concealed cables.
Got a tester to fill out cert?

16mm for a 40A MCB is a bit extreme?

 

[rodgearing]

Yep you are right 10mm will do for the cooker not thinking.
Yes to RCDs
Nope I haven't a 'tester' I have a Fluke.
The question still is what do you need to get a cert of Competence.

 

[ruston]

Yep you are right 10mm will do for the cooker not thinking.
Yes to RCDs
Nope I haven't a 'tester' I have a Fluke.
The question still is what do you need to get a cert of Competence.

The building inspector may be happy with your qualifications . You only need to be competent. If he decides you are not competent he may get a third party to inspect and test it . If you have paid a notification fee the they will have to bear the cost of this ,not you.
It's in the part P document , you can download it free from the government site.Planning Portal - Approved Document P


.

 

[telectrix]

hang on. first, you don't have to be a scam member to do this work, as the extension is subject to planning . therefore you don't have to pay a LABC fee, it's inclusive with the planning application. what you will probably find is that LABC will only accept you as competent if you have taken and passed the 2382. 17th Edition.

 

[rodgearing]

So what about the 'leccies' that are out there that got their qualifications in the 80s when I got mine ie to the 16th edition of the regs? Are you saying they are not employed as their qualifications aren't acceptable?
Thats why are asked how you get a cert of competence.

 

[ruston]

No , not saying that .Part P only applies to domestic . Read part P from the link I gave you . It tells you in there how you can comply, ie join a competent persons or go through the LABC route. It's all in there.resent:

 

[Guitarist]

I have already given you the websites to look at regarding what is required, along with a few other members who have given you excellent advice. I'm afraid that the confrontational way you are firing back your questions doesn't really encourage me to continue in this thread.
All the best.

 

[rodgearing]

Thankyou for your responses it is appreciated. I wasn't trying to be confrontational.
I understand that things have changed. I accept change but I don't accept having to pay someone exortionate amounts of money to do a job I am perfectly capable of doing myself.
I have downloaded the pdf file attributed to the site you gave me the link to. Thankyou. I admit I haven't read the 49 pages but will.
Again thankyou. Et bon chance.