welcome ,you are correct for third party testing ,before I start ist fix ok and then on to second fix ok for the tester to third party testing ,but if the tester finds out wrong then is will cost you much more moneys , so if I was you get the spark in to work with you from 1st fix to end competion, cause when its third party testing and your property or the one you work on goes up in flames the third party testers insurance will not cover that property .
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Chief Engineer Geoff Cronshaw provides clarity on the new Part P third party certification schemes introduced in April this year, and answers some frequently asked questions.
New Part P third party certification schemes for electrical installation work in dwellings were introduced in England on 6th April this year. The bodies that have been authorised to operate schemes are listed on the DCLG website at
www.gov.uk/third-party-certification-schemes-for-domestic-electrical-work.
A person registered with one of the schemes will be able to check domestic electrical work undertaken by installers who are not registered with a Part P competent person self-certification scheme (typically DIY work) and certify that the work is compliant with the Building Regulations. Before 6th April, only building control bodies (usually local authorities) could certify work by non-registered installers.
Overview
Part P of the Building Regulations was introduced in England and Wales on 1 January 2005. As part of the government’s commitment to cut red tape, significant changes came into effect in England that:
- from 6 April 2013 reduced the amount of ’notifiable’ work that must be checked by a building control body unless self-certified by an installer registered with a competent person scheme; and
- from 6 April 2014 introduced the new third party certification schemes.
All electrical installation work in dwellings must be carried out in line with the technical and procedural rules of Part P of the Building Regulations. This means that:
- all electrical work, no matter how minor, should follow the rules in BS 7671 for the design, installation, inspection, testing and certification.
- all notifiable work (certain types of higher risk work specified in the Building Regulations) must be certified as compliant with the Building Regulations.
Installers registered with a Part P competent person scheme are allowed to self-certify that notifiable electrical installation work complies with the Building Regulations. Before 6th April, only building control bodies (local authorities or private, approved inspectors) could certify notifiable work carried out by non-registered installers.
Part P doesn’t just apply to flats and houses. Business premises that have a common metered supply that is shared with a dwelling – for example, shops and public houses with a flat above – are covered too, along with common access areas in blocks of flats and shared amenities such as laundries and gymnasiums. However, if the business unit is separately metered to the dwelling it does not come under Part P.
The legislation also extends to parts of installations in or on land associated with dwellings. This would include fixed lighting, pond pumps in gardens, photovoltaic panels on roofs, or a supply to outbuildings such as sheds, detached garages and greenhouses.
A clear distinction has to be made between residential accommodation that is a place of work – such as university halls of residence and residential care homes – and dwellings. University halls of residence and residential care homes do not come under Part P but are covered by the Electricity at Work Regulations and would be subject to HSE investigations in the event of an incident. The building control body will be able to confirm whether Part P of the Building Regulations applies in a specific case.
The Building Regulations now define notifiable work more simply as the installation of a new circuit or consumer unit, or any addition or alteration to an existing circuit in a special location. For the purposes of the Building Regulations, a special location is essentially defined as the space within the zones in a room containing a bath or shower (see figures 1, 2 and 3), or as a room containing a swimming pool or sauna heater. Additions and alterations to existing circuits outside special locations, and replacements (other than consumer units) and repairs anywhere, are not notifiable. The building control body will be able to confirm whether work is notifiable in a specific case.
