Registration under Part P of the Building Regulations applies to domestic electrical installations (commercial and industrial installations come under the Electricity at Work Regulations) and contractors in this market must comply with the 17th Edition Wiring Regulations.

The new standard has been published and comes into effect from 1st July 2008. This will ensure that all electrical installation work undertaken in the UK meets the new standards. It is targeted at specifiers, installers and designers of electrical installations. All installations designed after 1st July 2008 will need to comply with BS 7671:2008 17th Edition.

The drivers for this change are EU harmonisation: the document has been revised to align with either European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC) or International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) corresponding documents.

What’s on offer?

For new entrants:
Requirements for Electrical Installations (City & Guilds 2382-10)
This 4-day course is designed to take you through the essentials and to attain the BS7671 qualification.

For 16th Edition qualified personnel:
Update to Requirements for Electrical Installations (City & Guilds 2382-20 Update)
This 2-day course is designed to take you through the changes to the Wiring Regulations and to refresh your knowledge. This course is designed for those who hold a current 16th Edition qualification taken within the last five years.

17th Edition for Managers and Supervisors
This 1-day course is designed to update managers and supervisors on the new regulations and to identify roles and responsibilies with respect to Health & Safety legislation.

Please note – If you undertook 16th Edition qualification more than five years ago, the full 4-day course is recommended.

Competency: what does it mean?
While the 16th Edition contained approximately 170 definitions, the 17th Edition contains approximately 250. One of the new ones is ‘Competent Person’ –

'A person who possesses sufficient technical knowledge and experience for the nature of the electrical work undertaken and is able at all times to prevent danger, and where appropriate, injury to themselves and others.'

This definition is made necessary by the requirements of Regulation 134.1.1 regarding good workmanship by competent persons.