Part P might raise the heckles of some, but our grumpy old man has been contacted by one responsible contractor who raises the strongest possible argument not only for the Regulation, but also for increased vigilance in the trade
I was contacted a couple of weeks ago by a chap called Dave Grant of electrical firm D & S Grant, who raised a few interesting points that other readers may wish to comment on. Having read my piece about Part P in the previous issue of Electrical Review, in which I quoted a report from the Electrical Safety Council, Dave highlighted while it is interesting to put figures to electrical incidents, they don’t spell everything out. For example, Dave asks of the 10,000 electrical fires in homes – how many are caused by faults to connected appliances and equipment rather than fixed wiring – and hence not covered by Part P?
He went on to question the actual number represented by the claimed 17.5% reduction in “mains wiring faults” and whether this actually means fixed wiring. In response to our statement that 79% of MPs surveyed agree that all electricians should be registered, Dave questioned whether MPs know that at present it is only actually required for electrical contractors to have one qualified person, provided that person oversees the work of the others?
Dave Grant’s points were highlighted when the Electrical Safety Council published in its ‘Switched On’ newsletter a report about the death in 2007 of 22 year old mother Emma Shaw who was electrocuted at her West Midlands flat through a wiring fault.
Emma had gone to her airing cupboard not realising that a misplaced plasterboard fixing screw – inserted during the construction of the building – had punctured a concealed cable rendering live the metal frame of the partition. The fault had gone unnoticed until a leak from the hot water cylinder left the water on the floor of the cupboard also live. As Emma Shaw stood on the floor attempting to turn off the water stop cock she came in contact with the water and died as a result of the shock she received. As the flat was on the first floor, no RCD protection had been provided.
Evidence at the inquest revealed when the electrics were installed, a series of errors were made. These included an unqualified electrician’s mate testing and approving the wiring in the flat. The inquest heard that four safety documents that the mate had filled out, and which were checked by the company’s supervisor, also had errors.
The jury said that there had been a “failure by the company to assess the capabilities of their workforce and constantly monitor their development” and a “failure to comply with their health and safety standards”. They concluded Miss Shaw had been unlawfully killed.
The Coroner told the inquest that he would use coroner’s rules to write to the NICEIC and other relevant bodies, asking if anything can be done to curb the practice of electricians signing safety certificates based solely on information reported to them by others.
This final point from the coroner iterates Dave Grant’s implication that contractors that have a lone qualified person (or, for larger firms a small number of qualified persons) run the risk of missing vital problems in their installations. The fact that, for instance, in the case of Emma Shaw’s tragic death, unforgivably insulation resistance tests had not been carried out properly, is a very sad case in point.
At the time of writing, Phil Buckle of the Electrical Safety Council was investigating the sources and validation of the figures I quoted last month. If he is able to track that information down, I will report back in the future.
In the meantime, regardless of Part P, contractors must remain diligent and vigilant that their installations are not only safe, but proved to be so.
John Houston can be contacted on 01797 364366 or by e-mail at [email protected]
