How long before the need for electrical certification, inspection and testing becomes a legal requirement? It’s a question I’m, often asked, by the public and people in the electrical industry. I wish I knew the answer, but unfortunately I don’t.
It’s always baffled me that there is a legal requirement to have a Gas Safety Certificate, but not for electrical installations. You can hear gas escaping, you can smell gas escaping, sure signs that something is wrong. None of these things apply to electricity though, but you can certainly feel it, and in some unfortunate instances all too late. I refer to this case, not too far from where our office is based in Cornwall.
The rental property in question hadn’t been inspected or tested since 1981, and the main earthing conductor had corroded away from the earth rod. A periodic inspection report would have found this, and a life could have been saved. What some contractors may also find worrying about this case, is that a number of electricians who have worked on the property in recent years are in the dock, answering questions as to why they hadn’t produced certification for work they did. Surely one of them would have picked this up if proper procedures had been followed. It’s not for me to say who is at fault here…. is it the landlord, electricians or the law? If you didn’t have to take your car for an MOT every year, I’ll bet most of us wouldn’t bother, but it’s the law, so we’re forced to. Why not with an electrical installation? Probably because the IET or the powers that be have little or no confidence in the quality of inspection and testing.
The electrical industry is very poorly policed where inspection and testing is concerned. In fact, according to the NICEIC, ECA and ELECSA, the biggest complaint they have to deal with on a daily basis is periodic inspections.
Electrical training courses such as the C&G 2391, Advanced Inspection and Testing. This course does NOT teach you how to become an Advanced Inspector and Tester, it merely teaches you to pass an exam.
What are the scheme operators doing about the quality of inspection and testing? Well two in particular are taking very positive steps to assist their members and help them improve the way they carry out inspection and testing. More about this at a later date.
To sum this up, until someone of importance is affected by this problem, it will remain just that, a very grey area indeed.
Rob