Building Regulations - Information

There is extensive information available on the internet and from your local authority detailing the range of advice, rules and law concerning the individual and owners of properties in the UK, not including Scaotland. The information below is a precis of rules concerning electrical wiring, appliances and inspections. The information should be taken in the context of advice and not actual law. Where shown, references are detailed for firther, more factual reading.

Links - Health & Safety Executive - Health & Safety Leaflets for Download - Electrical safety - Part P Electrical Safety - Electrical safety - Dwellings
Landlord Occupancy Regulations - Mandatory- Optional

Landlords

If you are a landlord, you need to be sure that the electrics in your property or properties are safe. That’s the law. If you let property, take note of these statistics rented properties are potentially more at risk than owner-occupier homes as they tend to get more wear and tear. Identifying faulty electrical installations can be difficult. Especially in rented properties as tenants may have carried out electrical work themselves without requesting permission or notifying their landlord. An accident could be waiting to happen, and the electrical installation in one of your houses or flats may not comply with national safety standards and Building Regulations.

Part P of the Building Regulations

Part P of the Building Regulations for England and Wales was introduced by the government in January 2005, with an aim of reducing the number of accidents in the home related to faulty electrical installations. Similar laws apply in Scotland. It is now a legal requirement for electricians, kitchen, bathroom and gas installers, and all other trades or individuals involved in carrying out domestic electrical installation work to comply with Building Regulations. Most electrical installations carried out in a property are now notifiable: in other words the local authority building control must be notified prior to the work being carried out. The exception is if it is carried out, inspected and certified by a person registered with a government-authorised competent person scheme such as NICEIC. Failure to comply with Part P is a criminal offence and local authorities have the power to require the removal or alteration of work that does not comply with the regulations.

Property Inspections

You are advised to have a property maintenance and appliance testing procedure in place. This should ensure properties are maintained in a safe condition.

NICEIC advises that you should arrange to:

1 Carry out regular visual inspections, looking for obvious signs of damage such as scorch marks on socket outlets and damaged cables.
2 Get the property inspected and tested by a competent person on change of occupancy, or at least every 10 years.
3 Ensure formal inspection and testing more often in higher risk properties where the installation is very old, or where damage has been found in the past.
4 Carry out regular inspections on all electrical appliances.

Inspecting Electrical Appliances

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) strongly advises estate agents, letting agents, landlords and anyone else who lets furnished accommodation to seek independent advice as to who is responsible for the safety of electrical appliances supplied in the course of business.

If you are a landlord and provide any electrical appliances (cookers, kettles, toasters, washing machines, immersion heaters, etc) as part of the tenancy, the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 requires that you ensure the appliances are safe to use when first supplied. Each time the property is relet, it will be classed as supplying to that tenant for the first time.

So you need to:

Check appliances for signs of damage:

* cuts or abrasions to the cable covering
* cracked casing or bent pins
* loose parts and screws
* overheating (burn marks)
* the outer covering of the cable not being gripped where it enters the plug or equipment. Look to see if the coloured insulation of the internal wires is showing.

You may need to carry out a formal inspection. It should include removal of the plug cover to check:

* the cord grip is holding the outer part of the cable tightly.
* the wires, including the earth wire where fitted are attached to the correct terminals.
* no bare wire is visible other than at the terminals.
* the terminal screws are tight.
* there is no sign of internal damage, overheating or entry of liquid, dust or dirt.

Most of these checks apply to extension leads and their plugs and sockets. But some faults cannot be detected in this way, such as lack of continuous earths, which for some equipment, is essential for safety. All earthed equipment should have an occasional combined inspection and test to look for faults. Combined inspection and testing should be carried out where there is reason to suspect the equipment may be faulty or damaged or contaminated, but where this cannot be confirmed by visual inspection. Combined testing should also be carried out after any repair or similar work to the equipment.

Competent contractors

NICEIC registered businesses are assessed every year to ensure they comply with national safety standards and codes of practice. The assessment covers a representative sample of the contractors’ electrical work, documentation, and in some cases their premises, and the competence of their key supervisory staff.

Contractors are assessed against the national standard for the safety of electrical installations, British Standard BS 7671: Requirements for electrical installations (also known as the IEE Wiring Regulations). They must also comply with the electrical safety requirements of any other applicable Codes of Practice, such as those for fire alarms, emergency lighting.
In England and Wales, it is a legal requirement for electrical work carried out in and outside the home to comply with Part P of the Building Regulations. The easiest way to be sure that your electrician complies with the law is to employ one registered with a government authorised scheme, such as the NICEIC Domestic Installer scheme.
Registration with NICEIC is voluntary - however, electrical contractors that are competent and conscientious about the service they offer customers consider registration a priority.