Signing off new electrical wiring installation

tallac

I'm getting renovation work done from a renovation company that is run by the guy who is the project coordinator. He doesn't do any of the hands on work but he strongly enforces all communication to/from his team goes via him.

I already have it in writing from him from the outset that a Part P electrical certificate will be provided for the electrical rewiring of the house. All of the renovation work happens during the day when I am not able to be around, I then visit the house daily in the evening to check progress but the workers have gone by then. To date, I have not crossed paths with the electrician so my only method of communication to him is via the project coordinator. I have crossed paths with some of his general workers and a couple of times I saw them doing some of the lighting wiring. I suspect that he is getting some of his non-electrical qualified team to do the general laying down of wiring and then he'll get a sub-contractor qualified electrician to do the bare essential connections required to then sign off the electrical certificate. This is concerning in itself but something far more alarming has happened recently.

Recently, the project coordinator has been busy on a course so I haven't been able to get in touch with him much. I was finally able to meet with him in person to go through a bunch of things. When talking about the partially installed consumer unit, he disclosed that the course he has been attending was an electrical course. He stated that he was attending the course to learn about the electrics and indicated that he would then be able to sign off the electric certificate for the house.

My concern is, is it even possible for someone to gain the proper Part P electrical qualification just by attending a course for a couple of weeks? If this is possible, I am deeply concerned that his motivation for doing this is that the electrical work is far below standard and this is the only way he can get the electrics to be signed off.

My questions are:

1. Can someone without any prior formal or hands on experience, gain the necessary electrical qualification in a matter of weeks?
2. Give my situation above, other than getting a reputable electrician to do a EICR, what can I do to ensure that the work is of safe standard?
3. If the company does try to do something illegal, is there anything I can do? E.g. report them to some regulatory body?

Thanks in advance

TELLIT01

Anybody can put the wiring in, a qualified person has to do the final checks, testing and signoff.

tallac

TELLIT01 said:

Anybody can put the wiring in, a qualified person has to do the final checks, testing and signoff.

But crucially, can an unqualified person attend a course for a few weeks to become qualified? Is it that simple?

Risteard

TELLIT01 said:

Anybody can put the wiring in, a qualified person has to do the final checks, testing and signoff.

Not true. All aspects must be done by competent people, or those under their direct supervision with the likes of Apprentices.

Risteard

tallac said:

TELLIT01 said:

Anybody can put the wiring in, a qualified person has to do the final checks, testing and signoff.

But crucially, can an unqualified person attend a course for a few weeks to become qualified? Is it that simple?

It takes four years to become an Electrician.

fenwick458

tallac said:

My questions are:

1. Can someone without any prior formal or hands on experience, gain the necessary electrical qualification in a matter of weeks?
2. Give my situation above, other than getting a reputable electrician to do a EICR, what can I do to ensure that the work is of safe standard?
3. If the company does try to do something illegal, is there anything I can do? E.g. report them to some regulatory body?

Thanks in advance

1. No
2.I think if I were in your position I'd be getting a reputable electrician in to have a look at it now. quite often doing and EICR once it' all plastered, painted and decorated with the carpets fitted it's not easy to check if it's all been done properly. and if you were to find it's all been done wrong at that stage, It'd be too late to do anything about it!

3. when you say illegal, you really mean not to the regs? you can report them to "their" regulatory body if they are registered. if they aren't registered, then unless someone dies I doubt anyone would get prosecuted

Ectophile

Risteard said:

tallac said:

TELLIT01 said:

Anybody can put the wiring in, a qualified person has to do the final checks, testing and signoff.

But crucially, can an unqualified person attend a course for a few weeks to become qualified? Is it that simple?

It takes four years to become an Electrician.

But it won't take four years to get enough certificates to sign up with one of the (remaining) certification companies.

Andy_L

tallac said:

he disclosed that the course he has been attending was an electrical course. He stated that he was attending the course to learn about the electrics and indicated that he would then be able to sign off the electric certificate for the house.

My concern is, is it even possible for someone to gain the proper Part P electrical qualification just by attending a course for a couple of weeks? If this is possible, I am deeply concerned that his motivation for doing this is that the electrical work is far below standard and this is the only way he can get the electrics to be signed off.

My questions are:

1. Can someone without any prior formal or hands on experience, gain the necessary electrical qualification in a matter of weeks?
2. Give my situation above, other than getting a reputable electrician to do a EICR, what can I do to ensure that the work is of safe standard?
3. If the company does try to do something illegal, is there anything I can do? E.g. report them to some regulatory body?

Thanks in advance

Is this what is happening? ie he's going from "zero to hero" in a matter of weeks or is he already qualified/experienced in electrickery & is just doing the extra training & exams needed to be able to sign off jobs?

tallac

Andy_L said:

tallac said:

he disclosed that the course he has been attending was an electrical course. He stated that he was attending the course to learn about the electrics and indicated that he would then be able to sign off the electric certificate for the house.

My concern is, is it even possible for someone to gain the proper Part P electrical qualification just by attending a course for a couple of weeks? If this is possible, I am deeply concerned that his motivation for doing this is that the electrical work is far below standard and this is the only way he can get the electrics to be signed off.

My questions are:

1. Can someone without any prior formal or hands on experience, gain the necessary electrical qualification in a matter of weeks?
2. Give my situation above, other than getting a reputable electrician to do a EICR, what can I do to ensure that the work is of safe standard?
3. If the company does try to do something illegal, is there anything I can do? E.g. report them to some regulatory body?

Thanks in advance

Is this what is happening? ie he's going from "zero to hero" in a matter of weeks or is he already qualified/experienced in electrickery & is just doing the extra training & exams needed to be able to sign off jobs?

As far as I know, I believe he is going from "zero to hero". His project coordination has probably given him a little bit of info on how things are done in the trade but I don't think he has done anything hands on.