Enforcing Part P

[Guitarist]

Last week it was discussed how nobody is taking ownership of enforcing Part P. Just thought I'd quote this except from the "Electrician's guide to the Building Regulations".

"The primary responsibility for achieving compliance with the Building Regulations rests with the person carrying out the building work. If electrical installation work is non-compliant, the local authority will usually take action against the electrician...."

Has anybody ever known LBC take action against such an electrician/pretend electrician?

 

[SPARTYKUS]

And the answer is?

 

[Dave 85]

Maybe it's just the area I live in then. All the time I come across jobs which haven't be certified, let alone notified, and I know that it's not the local "old boys" as I know most of them, and they are all registered (usually NIC).
I think you are right about a lot of builders "having a go" to save money, along with plumbers doing jobs "while you're here".

As for the whole part P machine, I think that it was conceived with good intentions and became about the money (as with most things).

You can always tell builder wiring the second you open a socket, they always leave 2 inches of sheath unstripped in the backbox. Im working in a house at the mo, rewired in blue and brown, Wickes fuseboard, downstairs sockets not on RCD side, no continuity on any ring, all lighting circuits on 16amp MCB's, all connections done in terminal block unenclosed, 3 core flex used instead of 3c&e. Rough b**t***s. It makes me look like an --- cos I go in to wire a bathroom and all of a sudden I've got a crap load of rectifying to do just to make the 2 circuits I wanna use comply.

 

[Guitarist]

You can always tell builder wiring the second you open a socket, they always leave 2 inches of sheath unstripped in the backbox. Im working in a house at the mo, rewired in blue and brown, Wickes fuseboard, downstairs sockets not on RCD side, no continuity on any ring, all lighting circuits on 16amp MCB's, all connections done in terminal block unenclosed, 3 core flex used instead of 3c&e. Rough b**t***s. It makes me look like an --- cos I go in to wire a bathroom and all of a sudden I've got a crap load of rectifying to do just to make the 2 circuits I wanna use comply.

And the customer just thinks you are touting for work.... They tell their friends who agree that as "it was rewired not long ago" you must be a shark. Makes me mad!

I had one the other week, same thing. RFC's on non-RCD side, hole on top of CU you could land a rocket in, no certificate. When I tried talking to the householder he just told me "well everyone does things differently. That doesn't make the other guy wrong."

 

[kingeri]

As someone with inside knowledge of LABC, trust me, they ain't gonna prosecute. They don't even have the processes set up to do it. Every council department is being reviewed and cut to the bone....now is not the time to be taking on a major new project....which enforcing Part P would be.

 

[Guitarist]

As someone with inside knowledge of LABC, trust me, they ain't gonna prosecute. They don't even have the processes set up to do it. Every council department is being reviewed and cut to the bone....now is not the time to be taking on a major new project....which enforcing Part P would be.

So, a money-making scheme, or something which was brought in to "look like" the Government cares?

 

[kingeri]

So, a money-making scheme, or something which was brought in to "look like" the Government cares?

That's the way I see it!