How can I confirm a person is an Electrician?

[Fit Zap and die]

I am not an Electrician albeit I often wire our projects and have them commissioned by our engineer who has a MA in the subject.

However we are growing and recently engaged an 'electrician'. He came with all the BS and undertook the work. The price was not cheap and he claimed he was an engineer. On completion we had the work inspected when some circuits wouldn't work and so had it inspected by the electricity board who immediately condemned it. It wasnt the first job of this master electrician that the board had condemned. The 'master electrician' could not be contacted nor returned calls.

Our engineer became available who was horrified but nontheless put it right and now the costs had soared. We looked into this guy and discovered that many victims littered his path and one guy had his house burnt down as a direct result of his work. Needless to say his insurance was fake.

How can we test whether an electrician is a proper time served craftsman? We now verify with universities if we have any skills that claim to have undergone HEd. Surprisingly we have found three so far who BS'ed their academic achievements but we dont have an avenue to winkle out wannabe electricians - Does anyone know how we can verify these cowboys?

 

[rodney12]

How about asking to see the certificates for the qualifications he claims he has, as well as asking to see his insurance docs?

He should have them all if he's legit

 

[oldtimer]

There is no such thing as a Master electrician this title has been brought over from the US as far as I am concerned we have grades so
Electrical engineer
Technician electrician (supervises)
Approved electrician (can work on own independantly)
Electrician (should be supervised)
Apprentice electrician
Electrical labourer or Electricians mate as it used to be.
I have a Scottish Joint Industry Board card that has my grade and photo on it with a holograph for fraud and can supply qualifications from the 14th to the 17th

 

[malcolmsanford]

It is a much Maligned organisation but if an Electrician as a JIB card you can be fairly confident that he is what is says.

 

[oldtimer]

It is a much Maligned organisation but if an Electrician as a JIB card you can be fairly confident that he is what is says.

Well I dont know what happens south of the border but up here they have kept their tabs on me for the last 34 years yeas I see your point althogh my concern is that if someone ask you to send copies of your qualification then we could be into identity fraud.
One other point regarding SJIB or JIB they are compelled by Due Diligence and therefor can be held legally responsable for issuing cards

 

[malcolmsanford]

The JIB are exactly the same this side of the border. I was fortunate enough to do a JIB apprenticeship and I still hold my card nearly 40yrs later.

About 4 yrs ago I quoted for a contract and both the JIB and the NICEIC both confirmed to the client who I was and what qualifications I hold and that my JIB grading was the correct one.

 

[Darkwood]

Ring rogue builders and do your part to get him publically exposed and you may get a starring roll too, get the bas....s face on tv that will knock him for six.

 

[AlanWirral]

There is no such thing as a Master electrician this title has been brought over from the US as far as I am concerned we have grades so
Electrical engineer
Technician electrician (supervises)
Approved electrician (can work on own independantly)
Electrician (should be supervised) ??? Eh??? lol
Apprentice electrician
Electrical labourer or Electricians mate as it used to be.
I have a Scottish Joint Industry Board card that has my grade and photo on it with a holograph for fraud and can supply qualifications from the 14th to the 17th

I don't think many sparks would be happy being watched all the time! Mind you i don't think that customers get the hint 90% of the time

 

[Graeme Harrold]

Master Electrician......Im guessing youre not in the UK....I do believe there are Journeyman Master Trades............

 

[Fit Zap and die]

My position is quite foggy but nonetheless I am in England however we operate in the US Mid West and less and less in Europe as well as England until a green card is afforded. I am English and where the buck stops. Our guys have to be verified because of the urgency of litigation by the US populous and if they tell porkies then they are prosecuted by the State and/or the Federal govt which would have been the case here.

We have to show 'due diligence' to confirm they are who they claim to be and certification is the way that is done. If it is fake then they themselves initiate the trap door to destruction and destroyed they are. He apparently showed a document related to JIB but it was never verified however it was not a card but a page sized document.

If I mess up I have my license pulled and that is global so I cant operate anywhere hence the firm dies on that decision.

We have sent our Attitude Adjusters who recovered some money from this lying SOAB and is on caveat that the remainder is paid or we donate his organs to research - He has since moved house but it is possible he can be located.

In synopsis the company can be terminated if we fail in our duty or tell porkies of our academic qualifications but cockroaches like this can wander free repeatedly blagging people who often cannot afford a loss and need a good safe installation and repeat it over and over without recourse.

People working direct for us are trade tested and we have individuals who cannot read nor write but there are no finer craftsmen on Gods Earth. Their analysis of a would be 'craftsmen' are blunt and often coarse but are as good as a university professors assumption of the same situation.

We owe these fine people a strong duty of care that their work is not besmirched by the company name being soiled by shoddy, unsafe cowboyism by patronising liars who try to burrow their way in.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Well I do hope that all your electricians can read and write, there is a far difference from a carpenter, bricklayer and a plasterer that can not read or write to an electrician that can not.

 

[Des 56]

There is no regulatory definition by the authorities of what constitutes an electrician
There are examination authorities that run courses that are recognised by most as proof of training
There are trade and government schemes that are voluntary
The persons themselves have to abide by the electricity at work regulations, and the competence to do so is left to that person himself, or by investigation of the person by the prospective employer
It is in the end left solely at the door of the employer to ascertain the adequacy of that person for the electrical task
There are sectors where the noose is a lot tighter and specific certification has to be held and verified,an example being mining or test and inspection of hazardous installations