Up to 2,000 unqualified electricians are endangering the Scottish public, SELECT tells Ministers

[JK-Electrical]

Up to 2,000 unqualified electrical businesses are potentially putting the safety of the Scottish public at risk. As part of our campaign to regulate the profession of electrician, SELECT undertook an in-depth research exercise to establish that a total of 103 electricians were trading in the representative local authority area of East Lothian.

In a letter sent to Scottish Government, SELECT said : “We looked at how many of these were current members of SELECT, were registered with the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) and finally, those who were registered with the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB).

“From the data, we discovered that of the 103, 30 were SELECT Members, 12 were registered with the NICEIC and 25 were registered with the SJIB. We could not find any record of any qualification for the remaining 36.”

It continues: “If this is then extrapolated, there is an average of 0.36 unqualified electricians per 1000 head of population. According to the Scottish Government’s own statistics, Scotland has a population of 5.39M which suggests that there are at least 1940 unqualified electricians.”

The letter goes on to provide a chart showing the number of likely unqualified electricians trading in each authority area plus the search criteria SELECT used.

Read more by clicking here.

 

[Octopus]

How is not being registered, "proof" that they are "unqualified"

More like they don't want to be ripped off by the scams

 

[Pete999]

Up to 2,000 unqualified electrical businesses are potentially putting the safety of the Scottish public at risk. As part of our campaign to regulate the profession of electrician, SELECT undertook an in-depth research exercise to establish that a total of 103 electricians were trading in the representative local authority area of East Lothian.

In a letter sent to Scottish Government, SELECT said : “We looked at how many of these were current members of SELECT, were registered with the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) and finally, those who were registered with the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB).

“From the data, we discovered that of the 103, 30 were SELECT Members, 12 were registered with the NICEIC and 25 were registered with the SJIB. We could not find any record of any qualification for the remaining 36.”

It continues: “If this is then extrapolated, there is an average of 0.36 unqualified electricians per 1000 head of population. According to the Scottish Government’s own statistics, Scotland has a population of 5.39M which suggests that there are at least 1940 unqualified electricians.”

The letter goes on to provide a chart showing the number of likely unqualified electricians trading in each authority area plus the search criteria SELECT used.

Read more by clicking here.

They ought to conduct a pole in England as well in that case.

 

[Octopus]

They ought to conduct a pole in England as well in that case.

Now that WOULD be scary

There's DIY dave near me - his advertising states he will add sockets, but he has no training, no regs books and no test kit................

 

[Rosco]

Bit concerned there are only 2000 commercial sparks in Scotland according to this

 

[HandySparks]

They ought to conduct a pole in England as well in that case.

You want to be careful with that conductive pole.

 

[JK-Electrical]

We looked at how many of these were current members of SELECT, were registered with the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) and finally, those who were registered with the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB)

If I've interpreted this correctly, then the term unqualified electrician would apply to anyone who has not served a recognised apprenticeship i.e. the five week wonders and the boys who went straight to college from school and managed to get an SVQ but not an apprenticeship.

To become a member of SELECT the applicant needs to be at least approved grade, and the only way an electrician can be graded as approved is if he has served an apprenticeship that is recognised as such by the SJIB. I'm not quite sure what the membership requirements are for NICEIC, but from what I understand about the Electrical Trainee courses they run, you don't even need to be an electrician to gain NICEIC membership!

SELECT are lobbying the Scottish Government very hard for unqualified personnel to be banished from the trade. I guess this will ultimately result in a considerable drop in the annual profits of My Builder and Rated People. This snippet that I found on another forum is interesting:

Also it looks like they are pushing Scottish Select to get the Scottish Parliament to endorse a licensed electrician system so it can be used as a Trojan horse for England. Remember Scotland is the test bed for example charges on plastic carrier bags was introduced 2-3 years before England but only after it was proved to Work.

The poster may well be correct as Scotland has a history of having been used for experiments. We were the guinea pigs for Thatcher's hated poll-tax and the no-smoking ban in pubs and restaurants was introduced up here over a year before it was brought-in down south. So if SELECT are successful - and they will be - it could well mean changes are in the pipeline for England and Wales too. I will be watching developments very closely.

 

[Rpa07]

Give us a shout when it gets close JK, can't be bothered to get off the couch - I'm knackered!

 

[dmxtothemax]

If there's money to be made ?
Then people will always find a way around any system !

 

[The Ghost]

It is not just the people saying they are electricians it is also the people who employ them who are part of this problem. So many people are cash poor and need work done what does anyone think they will do when faced with a quote (legitimate) of say £1000 against a quote (non electrician) £200? I met a certain person who is an electrician from spain and will do a box change for £100 I cannot compete with that.

 

[Pete999]

It is not just the people saying they are electricians it is also the people who employ them who are part of this problem. So many people are cash poor and need work done what does anyone think they will do when faced with a quote (legitimate) of say £1000 against a quote (non electrician) £200? I met a certain person who is an electrician from spain and will do a box change for £100 I cannot compete with that.

Agree Vorti, the other reason in my book is that these pseudo electricians are allowed to trade as Electricians, I think I know where most of the blame lays, but I'm not going to mention them, because there is no proof, only hearsay.

 

[JK-Electrical]

Agree Vorti, the other reason in my book is that these pseudo electricians are allowed to trade as Electricians, I think I know where most of the blame lays, but I'm not going to mention them, because there is no proof, only hearsay.

Surely you're Not Insinuating Cowboy Electricians In Cahoots?

 

[JK-Electrical]

Ottawa man fined $12,500 for advertising illegal electrical work

Ouch! That's seven and-a-half grand in our money.

Perhaps non-qualified personnel would think twice about carrying-out electrical work if they were liable to fines of £7500.

 

[Pete999]

Ottawa man fined $12,500 for advertising illegal electrical work

Ouch! That's seven and-a-half grand in our money.

Perhaps non-qualified personnel would think twice about carrying-out electrical work if they were liable to fines of £7500.

Tel the scams and training establishments that

 

[NDG Elecs]

It continues: “If this is then extrapolated, there is an average of 0.36 unqualified electricians per 1000 head of population. According to the Scottish Government’s own statistics, Scotland has a population of 5.39M which suggests that there are at least 1940 unqualified electricians.”

The big detail missing here is that over 50% of Scotland, by land area, still has no electricity infrastructure. So this would massively reduce that statistic.

Nor does Scotland have radio, potable water or basic humanity in this same 50%. Many unqualified electricians in Scotland are in that predicament as they have never actually seen, heard, felt, smelt, tasted or otherwise experienced electricity first hand. More training would be a good start. My first introduction was in the form of licking 9V batteries. After going through many cells over the years I feel comfortable and competent to safely channel and harness the abundance of electricity that is out there. Too many young men in the extra urban areas found in Glasgow etc are not competent to work with electricity despite also going through many cells..