NAPIT Sets Out Significant Reforms to the Building Regulations
Following the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee’s call for Part P of the Building Regulations to undergo considerable reform [1], NAPIT has submitted a paper to suggest all new electrical work in the home should be carried out by an identifiable competent individual who is employed by a registered business.
The submission comes as the Select Committee holds further evidence sessions to determine how the Building Regulations could be reformed, in line with recommendations made in the Independent Review of Building Regulations following the Grenfell Tower fire.
NAPIT’s proposal would extend the scope of notifiable work to cover all new electrical installation work in the home covered by a BS 7671 installation certificate, replacing the current system which excludes certain work and differs between England and Wales. The Scheme Operator is also calling for each individual responsible for carrying out electrical work to be competent, and subject to a periodic onsite assessment. These individuals should in turn be employed by a registered business, which is assessed annually and holds the necessary liabilities to comply with legal requirements.
NAPIT’s Chief Executive, Mike Andrews, said: "The proposal we submitted to the Select Committee would make routes to Building Regulations compliance simpler for both installers and consumers, and could dramatically improve safety levels in the domestic electrical industry. The current system does not make all new electrical installation work notifiable, and differs between England and Wales which we feel is needlessly confusing. We are also concerned that some of the present options available to comply with Part P of the Building Regulations do not guarantee the safety of an electrical installation. Our proposed reforms would be easily deliverable, and their adoption would show that the Government is listening to the increasingly loud calls for individual competence."
The Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee are due to hold a number of evidence sessions over the coming months to better understand the changes that are needed to the Building Regulations, and NAPIT will continue to offer its expert opinion based on its 25 years in the electrical sector.
To read NAPIT’s full submission to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee, please see: https://www.napit.org.uk/pdf/How-Part-P-of-the-Building-Regulations-could-be-reformed-Brief-for-the-Housing-Communities-and-Local-Government-Select-Committee.pdf
For more information on NAPIT’s views on Individual Competence, please see: http://blog.napit.org.uk/2018/05/16/importance-individual-competence/.
To find out more about NAPIT’s Competent Person Scheme, visit: https://www.napit.org.uk/schemes/competent-person-scheme.aspx.
Reference:
1. Part P was discussed by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee on 17th May 2018, when taking evidence from Dame Judith Hackitt. This discussion can be viewed here.
Article Published:
06 July 2018
napitbuilding regulationsselect committeepart p