Communities and Local Government

• Planning, building and the environment
• Introduction - Electrical Safety in Dwellings

Introduction - Electrical Safety in Dwellings

Electrical Safety in Dwellings

• The ODPM consulted on proposals to introduce electrical safety requirements in dwellings within the Building Regulations. The purpose of the proposals is to help to counter a rising trend in the number of injuries and fires attributable to defective fixed electrical installations. The requirements mean electrical installation work in dwellings must comply with the national wiring standard BS 7671.
• The responses to the proposals were generally.
• The Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC), with the help of officials and technical experts, has taken into account the views expressed in over 350 responses in producing a revised draft Approved Document and revised Regulatory Impact Assessment. These have now been agreed and the Committee has advised the Secretary of State that the technical and administrative proposals are both practicable and cost-effective in meeting the purpose of the proposals.
• However BRAC also advised that the proposals could only be brought into practical effect once competent person certification schemes were in place.
• ODPM Ministers accepted the BRAC advice and have announced by way of a Written Statement to Parliament the Government's intention to bring electrical safety in dwellings within the Building Regulations as Part P once suitable competent person schemes are in place.
• The Written Statement invited applications to operate competent person schemes under Part P to be submitted by 15 October 2003.
• Organisations contemplating applying to operate a scheme must meet the criteria, including the specific competence criteria for Part P schemes, and use the application form available online.