Electrical safety law in the UK   

Everyone knows that electricity can be dangerous. Electrical wiring faults cause a large percentage of fires in buildings around the UK. For that reason, we have stringent electrical safety laws in the UK. There are laws that deal with electrical safety in the workplace, electrical equipment and appliances, and even electrical safety in rental properties. But perhaps the most important law that deals with electrical safety is the Building Regulations Law. It lays down rules and guidelines for electrical installations or alterations in any building.

In January 2005, the government added an amendment to the Building Regulations known as Part P. Part P states that any person performing permanent electrical installations or alterations on homes in England and Wales is competent. If that person is not a registered member of a government-certified scheme such as NICIC or NAPIT i.e. a qualified electrician, then that work should be inspected by a representative of the local building authority or certified as safe by a qualified electrician.

All landlords and property owners must be able to show proof that any modification to the electrical installation conforms to Part P’s requirements. Therefore, it is now a legal requirement for landlord's to ensure that any electrical installation within a rented property is safe. A landlord can ensure this by hiring a qualified electrician to issue a Periodic Inspection Report or PIR. This report highlights what, if any, problems there are with an electrical system and identifies what needs to be repaired or replaced to ensure the safety of the system.

Qualified electricians conform to the UK national standards (BS7671) and can issue the appropriate certificates for any work they carry out. These certificates include: the Electrical Installation Certificate which will prove that the work done conforms to BS7671, and the Building Regulations Compliance Certificate which proves that the work done conforms to the Building Regulations.

Employing a qualified electrician ensures your protection against defective electrical work. And you will also have access to a formal complaints process if the electrical work is found to be unsatisfactory.

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