ELECTRICAL SAFETY CHECKS TECHNICAL
All change down south
New regulations about carrying out safety checks in rented accommodation have now come in to force that may impact Members who work in England. So what are the new rules? And what should Members who cross the border be aware of?
By Bob Cairney I Eng MIET Technical Standards Adviser, SELECT
T
he rules around electrical safety checks in private rented accommodation in England have changed after the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England)
Regulations 2020 came into full effect on 1 April 2021.
Electrical contractors who provide inspection and testing services will be interested to learn that the legislation, initially introduced last year, has now been fully implemented and could provide additional work opportunities for many of them. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 came into force on 1 July 2020 and require landlords to ensure that the electrical standards are met and that inspection and testing is
38 CABLEtalk JUNE/JULY 2021
carried out prior to a new tenancy and by 1 April 2021 for existing tenancies. As of 1 April 2021, these statutory requirements are therefore now fully in force and significant fines up to £30,000 can be imposed on a landlord failing to comply. To comply, a landlord simply needs to ensure an electrical safety check is carried out by a qualified person at five-yearly intervals, obtain an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), and provide a copy of the most recent EICR to the tenant. It is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure that the person carrying out this check is suitably qualified.
This is defined in the regulations as a person competent to undertake the inspection and testing required
under regulation 3 (1) and any further investigative or remedial work in accordance with the electrical safety standards. Using a qualified electrician who is able to satisfy requirements for a skilled electrical (person) competent to verify the requirements of the latest version of BS 7671 would satisfy the regulations. Where the safety check reveals that remedial work is required to prevent danger, this must be carried out within 28 days.
Implementing all of this should have a significant effect in improving electrical safety in such premises and ensure that tenants are kept safe from the risks associated with electrical shock or fire. The electrical safety check is, of course, better known to electrical
PART P SCHEME AID FOR MEMBERS
For SELECT Members who carry out work in England or Wales, SELECT operates an arrangement with BESCA to provide a Part P Scheme. Members must
be registered
with the Scottish Government’s Approved Certifier of Construction Scheme. Tis means that they are able to self- certify that their works comply with the building regulations, without the
need to notify Building Control in advance or incur costly local authority inspection fees. Details of this
arrangement can be found on the SELECT website at
www.select.org.uk
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