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Part P to Building Regulations

Part P has been changed. The original approved document P Electrical Safety came into force on 1 January 2005.

The document's purpose, as with all other approved documents, was to provide practical guidance for some of the more common building situations. Part P of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations (England and Wales) has been amended in an attempt to provide greater clarity of the requirement and to make enforcement more proportionate to the risk.

To reflect these amendments, a new version of approved document P has been issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government (formerly the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM)). This came into effect on Thursday 6th April 2006, and may be obtained from the ODPM website - see link on the right of this page.

To download some articles from the Autumn 2004 edition of Wiring Matters ('Part P is published', 'Competent person self-certification schemes', 'Part P Special locations and kitchens', 'Paperwork and procedures' and 'The Electrician's guide to the Building Regulations') - see link on the right of this page.

Links to five Government-approved competent persons self-certification schemes from BRE Certification Ltd, British Standards Institution (BSI), ELECSA Ltd, NAPIT Certification Ltd, and NICEIC Certification Services Ltd, can be found in the links group on the right of this page.

Background

In May 2003 the Government announced that it would introduce a new Part to the Building Regulations, Part P, which would bring domestic electrical installation work in England and Wales under the legal framework of the Building Regulations. It will, for the first time, place a legal requirement for safety upon electrical installation work in dwellings, although the sector is highly regarded for its high levels of conformity with its chief standard, BS 7671.

It was announced that Part P would only be introduced in law when self-certification schemes were in place to ensure competency of the work undertaken. Such schemes are now in place. Part P of the Building Regulations became a legal requirement on January 1st 2005.

The requirements

Part P places two requirements

Design, installation, inspection and testing of electrical installations

Reasonable provision shall be made in the design, installation, inspection and testing of electrical installations in order to protect persons from fire or injury.

Provision of information

Sufficient information shall be provided so that persons wishing to operate, maintain or alter an electrical installation can do so with reasonable safety.

In addition, electrical installation work must comply with the Building Regulations in general. Such requirements include those placed by:

  • Part A - Structure
  • Part B - Fire Safety
  • Part C - Site preparation and resistance to moisture
  • Part E - Resistance to the passage of sound
  • Part F - Ventilation
  • Part L - Conservation of Fuel and Power
  • Part M - Access to and use of buildings

Part P Discussion

There is an e-mail discussion thread on the subject of Part P and potential Competent Persons Schemes within the IET Professional Network on Building Electrical Technology (BETNET). Registration with the BETNET network is free to IET members and others. See link on the right side of this page.

FAQs - Building Regulations Part P, Electrical safety in dwellings

Q1: When will Part P come into effect?

Part P comes into effect in England and Wales on 1 January 2005.

Q2: What are the requirements of Part P?

From 1 January 2005 it is a legal requirement for all work on fixed electrical installations in dwellings and associated buildings to comply with relevant standards. The relevant UK standard is BS 7671: 2001, 'Requirements for electrical installations' (The IEE Wiring Regulations 16th Edition). BS 7671 covers requirements for design, installation, inspection, testing, verification and certification.

Q3: To what types of electrical work does Part P apply?

  • In a dwelling
  • In the common parts of buildings serving one or more dwellings, but excluding power supplies to lifts
  • In a building that receives its electricity from a source located within or shared with a dwelling, and
  • In a garden or in or on land associate with a building where the electricity supply is from a source located within or shared with a dwelling

The term dwelling includes houses, maisonettes and flats. It also apply to electrical installations in business premises that share an electricity supply with dwellings, such as shops and public houses with a flat above.

The common parts of buildings includes access areas in blocks of flats such as hallways and shared amenities in blocks of flats such as laundries and gymnasiums.

Part P applies to electrical installations located in outbuildings such as detached garages, sheds and greenhouses.

Part P applies to parts of electrical installations located on land around dwellings such as garden lighting.

Part P applies to electrical installations that operate at voltages not exceeding 1000 V a.c.

Notifiable work includes new installations, house re-wires, and the installation of new circuits. Notifiable work also includes additions to existing circuits in kitchens, bathrooms, outdoors and in other special locations. (See below ).

Q4: Will all electrical work need Building Regulations approval?

No. In general, notification will need to be given to, or full plans deposited with, a building control body only if the work is major involving one or more complete new circuits, and is not being carried out by an electrical contractor registered with an authorised competent person self-certification scheme.

Q5: What types of electrical work are 'non-notifiable'?

The following types of work are non-notifiable:

Replacing accessories such as socket-outlets, control switches and ceiling roses

Replacing the cable for a single circuit only, where damaged, for example, by fire, rodent or impact(a)

Re-fixing or replacing the enclosures of existing installation components(b)

Providing mechanical protection to existing fixed installations(c)

Work that is not in a kitchen or special location and does not involve a special installation(d) and consists of:

Adding lighting points (light fittings and switches) to an existing circuit(e)

Adding socket-outlets and fused spurs to an existing ring or radial circuit(e)

Installing or upgrading main or supplementary equipotential bonding(f)

Notes:

(a)On condition that the replacement cable has the same current-carrying capacity, follows the same route and does not serve more than one sub-circuit through a distribution board

(b)If the circuit's protective measures are unaffected

(c)If the circuit's protective measures and current-carrying capacity of conductors are unaffected by increased thermal insulation

(d)Special locations and installations are listed below

(e)Only if the existing circuit protective device is suitable and provides protection for the modified circuit, and other relevant safety provisions are satisfactory

(f)Such work shall comply with other applicable legislation, such as the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations

Special locations and installations(a)

Locations containing a bath tub or shower basin

Swimming pools or paddling pools

Hot air saunas

Electric floor or ceiling heating systems

Garden lighting or power installations

Solar photovoltaic (PV) power supply systems

Small scale generators such as microCHP units

Extra-low voltage lighting installations, other than pre-assembled, CE-marked lighting sets

Notes:

(a)See IEE Guidance Note 7 which gives more guidance on achieving safe installations where risks to people are greater.

Q6: What are competent person self-certification schemes?

Electrical contractors who register with a competent person self-certification scheme will be able to self-certify compliance with the Building Regulations whenever they carry out 'notifiable' work. Persons who are not registered with a self-certification scheme - including DIYers - will need to notify or submit plans to a building control body, unless the work is non-notifiable as described above.

Q7: How many electrical self-certification schemes have been approved?

On the recommendation of BRAC (the Building Regulations Advisory Committee), the Government has approved schemes to be operated by:

  • BRE Certification Limited,
  • BSI - British Standards Institution,
  • ELECSA Limited,
  • NAPIT Certification Ltd, and
  • NICEIC Certification Services Limited.

These schemes are aimed at those carrying out electrical installation work as the primary activity of their business. Links to these providers can be found in the relevant link group on the top-right right of this page.

BRAC are continuing to consider a number of applications for schemes, defined competence self-certification schemes, aimed at those who carry out installation work only as an adjunct to or in connection with the primary activity of their business. The Committee hopes to be able to make recommendations for approval on these shortly.

Q8: What are the competency criteria for joining a Part P scheme?

The competency requirements for the Part P schemes are specified in the Electrotechnical Assessment Scheme (EAS) - further details of which can be found on this website (see Electrotechnical Assessment Scheme).

Compliance with the EAS can be achieved through a mix of experience and qualifications. There are additional requirements, mostly of an administrative nature, including the provision of certificates and a complaints procedure. These can be found on the ODPM website at www.odpm.gov.uk.

Q9: What are defined competence self-certification schemes?

These are schemes aimed at contractors who do electrical work as an adjunct to their main activity - for example kitchen and bathroom fitters and central heating installers.

Q10: Will electrical contractors be forced to join a Competent Person Scheme?

When Part P comes into effect there will be two routes for those carrying out 'notifiable' electrical installation work in dwellings to demonstrate that they have complied with the requirements.

The first is to join a competent person self-certification scheme.

The second is to submit a building notice to the local authority.

Five bodies have been approved to run schemes and electrical contractors have a choice of which scheme to join.

However, there will be 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.

Q11: How will Part P apply to DIY work?

Part P will apply to all electrical work in dwellings, whether carried out by professionals or DIYers.

Some DIY work will require the submission of a building notice to the local authority and the payment of a building control fee.

Some minor electrical work will not be notifiable, as explained above. Examples include adding a lighting or power point to an existing circuit, adding a spur to an existing circuit or replacing a light fitting.

Q12: How will compliance with Part P be enforced?

The Government consider that much of Part P work will be performed by members of Competent Person Schemes - although this obviously depends upon the successful operation of such schemes.

Failure to comply with the Building Regulations is a criminal offence and local authorities have the power to require the removal or alteration of work that does not comply with the requirements.

Q13: What extra costs will be imposed on electricians?

The annual cost of joining a Competent Person Scheme should be negligible, when spread over the number of jobs undertaken during the year.

Q14: Local authorities will require more resources to cope with the extra work - where will these come from?

There should be no additional financial implications for local authorities. The money to pay for additional Building Control Inspectors will accrue from building control fees.

Some local authorities will employ electrical inspectors, whilst others will operate a system of call-off contracts.

The ODPM require that the joining and inspection fees set by the scheme operator are sufficient only to cover their costs and allow future development of the schemes.

Submitting a building control notice is likely to cost not less than £50 per job.

Q15: Many electrical faults are not caused by bad workmanship, so why bother with Part P?

In the Regulatory Impact Assessment, the Government estimated that around 30% of electrical accidents could be prevented through regulation, and that this would justify bringing electrical work in dwellings under Building Regulations control.

Q16: Won't Part P simply drive more work 'underground'?

The Regulatory Impact Assessment considered the question of whether regulation would result in more unsafe work. The Government do not consider there is any evidence that this will be the case.

Q17: What will be the benefits of Part P?

It is expected that bringing electrical work in dwellings under building regulations control will reduce the number of deaths, injuries and fires caused by faults in electrical installations. It is expected that nationally Part P will lead to an improvement in the competence of electrical contractors and to an improvement in the overall quality of electrical work.