The Government introduced a new law in January 2005, which demands that most electrical work in UK households is only carried out by a ‘competent' person. Up to now, the electrical industry has maintained relatively high safety standards aided by only voluntary controls. But with an increasing use and variety of electrical equipment and appliances in our homes, it is not surprising that we are exposed to an increased risk of electric shock and fires caused by faulty electrical installations.
In fact, each year there are around 21 fatal and 2,788 non-fatal electric shock accidents in the home, plus 7909 fires caused by electrical faults, resulting in 15 deaths and 1100 injuries. With over 30 deaths and nearly 4000 injuries a year it is not difficult to see why an electrical safety law needs to be enforced.
It is a legal requirement for homeowners and landlords to prove that all electrical installation work complies. Failure to comply with the requirement is a criminal offence. Local authorities also have the power to require the removal or alteration of work that does not comply with the Building Regulations.
Electrical safety requirements have been included in a new Part P of the Building Regulations. The Building Regulations deal with the health and safety of people in and around buildings by providing functional requirements for building design and construction.
The law states that anyone carrying out fixed electrical installations in households in England and Wales must ensure that electrical installations are:
- Designed and installed to afford appropriate protection against mechanical and thermal damage, and so that they do not present electric shock and fire hazards to people.
- Suitably inspected and tested to verify that they meet the relevant equipment and installation standards.
Electrical Solutions Tadcaster, only employ City and Guilds qualified, JIB Approved electricians.