What is the legal definition of an electrician?

[HappyHippyDad]

I have scoured the internet to see if I can find a 'legal' definition of an electrician. I cannot!

I have found this:

What Is A "Qualified Electrician"? | My Local Electrician

which distinguishes between a qualified and non-qualified electrician but a 'non-qualified' electrician still has 'electrician' in the title.

Normal dictionaries cannot be used as they do not go into any detail. The collins dictionary simply states an electrician as:

a person whose occupation is the installation, maintenance, and repair of electrical devices

The Oxford English Dictionary states an electrician is:

a person who installs and maintains electrical equipment

There are a lot of views about who can call themselves an electrician, generally someone who has served an apprenticeship and has the right NVQ's but is there a legal definition?

 

[Plonker 3]

The BS7671 says competent person- A person who posses sufficient technical knowledge, relevant practical skills and experience for the nature of the electrical work undertaken and is able at all times to prevent danger and, where appropriate, injury to him/ herself and others.

To me that reads there is no such thing because one person wouldn't be able to be all of the above for every aspect of electrical work.

We all have our fields which we are comfortable to work in, so we usually just stick to them. See the thread earlier about becoming a panel wirer as a example, someone confident in house bashing but has prospects else where, but uncertain what it involves.

 

[gnuuser]

but is there a legal definition?

probably only in the eyes of a lawyer or judge:13:

 

[snowhead]

No, there cannot be a Legal definition, the title Electrician is too vague.
Same problem with Plumber, Pipe Fitter, Heating engineer, Joiner, Carpenter, Tiler, Bricklayer.

The same problem occours with many trades and occupations.
It's only when you get to Professions do you start to get legal definitions.

 

[Engineer54]

Really, define ....Electrical Engineer, Mechanical Engineer in legal definition terms then??

 

[overskilled]

Legally in some jurisdictions IIRC - To use the title engineer, you are required to have a bachelor of engineering degree at a minimum and frequently other requirements on the top.

 

[timbobelfast]

IMHO it is the paper qualifications that help back up competency. Only way in a court of law that you can back yourself up.

What qualifications make you an electrician? That's a different debate, well in the UK anyway! Too many different routes and short courses.

 

[Engineer54]

Legally in some jurisdictions IIRC - To use the title engineer, you are required to have a bachelor of engineering degree at a minimum and frequently other requirements on the top.

Unfortunately not in the UK

IMHO it is the paper qualifications that help back up competency. Only way in a court of law that you can back yourself up.

What qualifications make you an electrician? That's a different debate, well in the UK anyway! Too many different routes and short courses.

That is about as close as you could come to legally defining an Engineer. But take for example the term Electrical Engineer, there are so many different E/Engineers all working in their own specialised fields. It's inconceivable, that any of them would be able to claim Engineer status over all the specialisations... but all are called Electrical Engineers!!

That goes for many other Engineering professions as well...

 

[guest119]

JIB Grading Definitions - Electrician

 

[telectrix]

quite simple, really. an electrician is a plumber with a brain added.

 

[timbobelfast]

quite simple, really. an electrician is a plumber with a brain added.

Like you thinking Tel, BUT, what is your definition of a plumber? lol (Apart from having wet pants)

Personally I use the JIB grading system myself as a bench mark. Although a lot of other sparks would disagree.

 

[Engineer54]

JIB Grading Definitions - Electrician

Those grading definitions relate to what is or was known as ''Journeyman electrician'' working in the building and construction side of things. Industrial Maintenance Electricians would follow a somewhat different path, and does not come under the JIB's umbrella

 

[guest119]

Electrician, including Provisional Electrician - Scottish Joint Industry Board

 

[timbobelfast]

Those grading definitions relate to what is or was known as ''Journeyman electrician'' working in the building and construction side of things. Industrial Maintenance Electricians would follow a somewhat different path, and does not come under the JIB's umbrella

The JIB card I have has both electrical installation and electrical maintenance on it with the grade of Approved Electrician.

Tho I have the NVQ 3 in both installation and maintenance.

 

[Engineer54]

Think you'll find the meanings of industrial maintenance and electrical maintenance are different. Industrial electricians follow a different C&G's route as well. As far as i know, these types of electricians have never been under the JIB/SJIB's umbrella.

 

[timbobelfast]

Yes, like most rig sparks. Time severed through the shipyards. There is industrial and then heavy industrial and even then the difference here is miles apart.

I don't think there will ever be a golden rule or path the being fully qualified. To many different aspects to consider.

 

[Marvo]

I don't know if 'electrician' was ever a protected title whereas engineer was by engineering councils to some degree.

 

[MDJ]

I thought it was someone who could carry out electrical installation work under supervision to the standard expected by bs 7671, an approved electrician was always someone who could run Jobs, read drawings and supervise up to 6 electricians/mates/apprentices etc. So an electrician need only be able to carry out works under supervision, not run jobs and take responsibility, well that is how it used to be.

 

[Silly Sausage]

quite simple, really. an electrician is a plumber with a brain added.

Or an Electrician is someone who wishes that they had paid more attention at school...then they could have become an Instrument Tech! :tounge_smile::38:

 

[MDJ]

I don't know if 'electrician' was ever a protected title whereas engineer was by engineering councils to some degree.

I hate the word engineer when used by electricians and the word technician, they are both different from electrician, an engineer is a different job and it takes a lot of knowledge to be one of those, as for technician different again, the top grade on the tools.