Electricity & the Law
We all take electricity for granted - but in the wrong hands its could be a killer. According to the government, every year faulty electrics in the home kills ten people and injures 750 more.
On January 1st 2005 the current laws cracking down on unsafe workmanship came into force. New electrical safety requirements were added to Buildings Regulations which are enforceable by local authorities to ensure the health and safety of people in and around buildings.
The requirements, known as Part P of the Building Regulations, say that anyone carrying out fixed electrical installations in England and Wales must comply with the national safety standard for them (BS 7671).
A fixed installation is the term for wiring and appliances that are fixed to a building: the sockets, switches, consumer units/fuse boxes, and ceiling fittings etc. Under the new regulations, electrical work must be "suitably designed, installed, inspected and tested so as to provide reasonable protection against them being the source of a fire or a cause of injury to persons".
This applies to almost all electrical installations in the home and garden: from adding the electrics to a newly built house or extension, through to garden lighting and pond pumps, even to DIY works.
If you do not follow the Building regulations, not only may the installation be unsafe but you may have difficulty selling your home if you do not have the right electrical safety certificates.