Joining a governing body?

[Op1988]

Hi, I'm currently working for a company (on the books not self employed) who I do a lot of testing and inspecting for but I do a lot of "jobs on the side" and have a friend who owns a few house that he rents out, I'm thinking of joining a governing body (NAPIT, NICEIC) so I can test my own work and do periodic inspection reports for my mate. Do I have to be a registered company to join?

 

[Richard Burns]

You can test your own work and do periodic inspections (for a mate, but occasionally some big companies insist on pointless registration) if you are competent to do them and have the necessary skills, experience and equipment to undertake them safely.

The self certification schemes (not governing bodies) are there to permit you to undertake work that is notifiable to building control under part P of the building regulations without having to notify the LABC in advance or pay their fees (you only have to pay the Schemes fees (which are less)).

To join a self certification scheme you would be expected to be a company of some sort; whether this is self employed, limited company or partnership is irrelevant.
Easiest to register as self employed with HMRC (as well as being employed at your present company) and give your company a name.

 

[Op1988]

Thanks for the reply Richard. Iv got my 2391, a set of testers and Iv been qualified 5years. How can I test my own work without being registered with a self certificate scheme? Sorry if I'm being dull!

 

[Andy78]

Thanks for the reply Richard. Iv got my 2391, a set of testers and Iv been qualified 5years. How can I test my own work without being registered with a self certificate scheme? Sorry if I'm being dull!

Testing and certification is different to notification to building control. Testing and certification is required by BS7671 and happens in all cases of electrical work apart from maintenance. If you are competent, which I would say you are, then you can test and certificate your work.
If that work requires notification to building control too, you can do this direct to building control or via a scheme such as you are on about.
No periodic testing requires membership of a scheme.

 

[Op1988]

Thanks andy, but how can I certify my work without being registered to a scheme? What forms do I fill in and where can I get them?

 

[trev]

Thanks andy, but how can I certify my work without being registered to a scheme? What forms do I fill in and where can I get them?

Suppose you extend a RFC, this work is not notifiable so you'd fill in the appropriate cert and give it to the customer. There's a lot of work which isn't notifiable that you'd cert off your own back without getting anyone else involved. Commercial work is not notifiable but you still issue certs.

You don't have to be a member of a r£gulatory body unless you're doing notifiable work.

 

[Guest77]

It is such a joke now in anycase a lot of proper sparks don't bother with a scheme, if your competant and can prove it why allow some numpty organisation to do it for you, if your only doing EICRs and remedial works you probably won't need to notify, and if the odd job needs notifying you could always do it yourself direct to building control, lets put the schemes out of business, don't join one lol

 

[Andy78]

Thanks andy, but how can I certify my work without being registered to a scheme? What forms do I fill in and where can I get them?

Cetification is the act of filling in the cert and giving it to the customer.

Notification is an additional thing that you do if your work falls under the scope of part P ... see here for the list of notifiable work in wales http://www.elecsa.co.uk/Documents/Public-Documents/Contractors/Notifiable-Work-in-Wales-2013.aspx

You should know what work requires which forms if you have your 2391. You can use the IET model forms found in BS7671 and on the IET website, or if you want duplicate forms, pop into your local wholesaler and pick up a pad of them.

 

[Op1988]

Ok that's starting to make a little sense now, what about periodically testing? Will I need to be registered with a scheme or can I do that off my own back?

 

[Brightspark2]

You can buy test certificates from most wholesales which you fill in or there templates on here somewhere which you can fill in on the computer.

 

[SJD]

You don't need to "buy" any certificates (unless you want to), for example I use Excel sheets that are modelled on the forms in BS7671 (EIC, EICR, MEIWC).

 

[trev]

Ok that's starting to make a little sense now, what about periodically testing? Will I need to be registered with a scheme or can I do that off my own back?

Nar Man! Ye divvent need owt mair than yer aan heed!

 

[Octopus]

Ok that's starting to make a little sense now, what about periodically testing? Will I need to be registered with a scheme or can I do that off my own back?

There is NO SCHEME membership required for doing testing however you need to consider the following:

PL ins
PI ins
Providing certs with your name on and invoices
Declaring 2nd income to HMRC

 

[Op1988]

Thanks guys for the help!

 

[telectrix]

just to reiterate on previous advice. you don't need to join a scam for testing and a lot of minor works. the only thing is notifiable work, which you can check on from downloading part p of the building regs. from planning portal.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Hello Op1988.

As the others have said you do not need to belong to a scheme (i.e Napit,Elecsa, NICEIC) in order to undertake Inspections or to give out the required documents for an inspection. The only requirement is for you to be competent.

To be deemed competent to carry out an EICR, best practice guide number 4 states the person must as a minimum:

- Have sufficient knowledge and experience of electrical installation matters to avoid injury to themselves and others.
- Be familiar with, and understand the requirements of the current addition of BS7671 including those relating to inspection, testing and reporting
- Be skilled in the safe application of the appropriate test instruments and procedures.
- Have a sound knowledge of the particular type of installation to be inspected and tested.
- Have sufficient information about the function and construction of the installation to allow them to proceed in safety.

The correct forms that need to be completed and given to the customer are Form number 6, form 7 and form 4 and these can be found and copied from the IET website Forms for electrical contractors - IET Electrical

The only time you need to be registered with a scheme is if you intend to do any of the following: View attachment Part P changes - what is notifiable.pdf

Specifically, work that is notifiable will include:
A) The installation of a new circuit
B) The replacement of a consumer unit or
C) Any addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location

Also I would look at Murdoch's post number 13 and take his advice regading Insurance, tax etc.

 

[Andy78]

HHD, the OP is in Wales so your link about notifiable work in England might not be relevant to them.

 

[Geoffsd]

Yes, to clarify for the OP.

The self-'certification' in the self-certification scheme relates to the Certificate of Compliance which they issue to the customer when you tell them you have done notifiable work. It (the self-certification) has nothing to do with Electrical Certificates which should be issued for all work and can be completed by anyone.
By the way, the self-certification schemes do not see your certificates when they issue their certificates.
They only view your certificates when assessing whether you can continue to self-certify.

If you choose not to register with a self-certification scheme then when you wish to do notifiable work you must inform and pay the LABC. On completion of the work the LA will issues a Certificate of Completion to the customer.

So, you see there are different certificates, some of which - electrical certificates - can be issued by anyone, but depending on whether you are registered to self-certify or not someone else will have to issue a certificate.

With non-notifiable work you still have to issue a certificate but that is the only certificate; no other certificate has to be issued.

Clear?

 

[Op1988]

Yes it's making more sense now kind of! So say I want to add a new circuit (notifiable work) I have to notify LABC? How does that work? I phone them before I start the job? How long does it take? Would they need to come out or is it just to give them the heads up that I'll be installing a new circuit at a property? Testing and inspection side of it I get it's just how the LABC process works?

Thanks

 

[HappyHippyDad]

HHD, the OP is in Wales so your link about notifiable work in England might not be relevant to them.

Might be wrong but I think its the same in Wales Andy Building Regulations - IET Electrical

 

[Andy78]

Might be wrong but I think its the same in Wales Andy Building Regulations - IET Electrical

Your original link was to the 2013 changes that affected England HHD, these changes didn't affect Wales as they continued to use the 2010 version.