New NAPIT Scheme is “Vital for Electrical Safety”
NAPIT has launched a new Electrical Inspector Scheme for installers designed to help consumers and businesses find the right tradesperson for electrical inspection and testing work across the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors.
Driven by recent legislative change and increasingly rigorous risk management by insurance companies, demand for this type of work, particularly the use of Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs) across all sectors, is growing fast.
It is now common, for example, for insurers to require EICRs, following damage from fire, flood and other incidents, completed by competent electrical inspectors. There’s also a heightened focus on the legal obligations falling on employers and landlords.
For rented accommodation in Scotland, it is a statutory requirement for EICRs to be carried out at least once every five years by a competent electrician. Wales have introduced mandatory licensing for landlords via the Rent Smart Wales Code of Practice which recommends "a check on the electrical installation should be carried out at least once every five years by a competent electrician, and the results should be recorded in the form of an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)" as best practice. It is looking increasingly possible that England will eventually follow suit following the "Electrical safety standards for properties let by private landlords" clause inserted by the Government in the Housing and Planning Act 2016.
To address this demand, NAPIT has consulted both customers and stakeholders to gain new insights into their needs and to discover how best to ensure they are able to find an appropriately qualified and experienced electrical inspector.
It was found that an effective search needs to identify inspectors who are assessed as competent to carry out EICR work and have experience of working in the building types potential customers may require. The advanced search facility on the NAPIT website now separates registered inspectors by their sector specific expertise: domestic, commercial and/or industrial, making it easier for specifiers to decide on the right person for the job.
NAPIT Managing Director of Standards, David Cowburn, said: "Excellence in electrical inspection and testing is one of the key components that has always set NAPIT registered electricians apart, and it is vital for electrical safety, both at home and in the workplace.
The Electrical Inspector Scheme we’ve developed is set to enhance inspection and testing standards. Previously, anyone was able to carry out an EICR and claim they are competent to do so without any checks. This new scheme will now verify this claim by confirming qualifications and insurance of the Electrical Inspectors and ensuring a sample of each registrant’s EICR work is inspected via regular assessments."
The new scheme also begins to address the issue of electrical safety checks in the private rented sector, which has long been a campaign priority for NAPIT. It formed the basis of the Trade Association’s " Electrical Safety in the Private Rented Sector" campaign as well as the work carried out with the Electrical Safety Roundtable to create consumer facing " Home Safety Guidance".
To find out more about the Electrical Inspector Scheme, visit www.napit.org.uk/schemes/inspection-testing-scheme.aspx, call 0345 5430330 or email [email protected]
Article Published:
25 May 2016