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Registered Competent Electricians promoted by more Local Authorities


3/29/2018


More Local Authorities are promoting the Registered Competent Person Electrical (RCPE) mark and register following promotion undertaken by the Electrical Safety Roundtable (ESR).


The RCPE mark and register simplify the process of finding a Competent Registered Electrician by ensuring all electrical enterprises are listed in one place and are identifiable by one mark. Competent Registered Electricians meet strict qualification requirements and undergo regular onsite technical assessments to ensure their work complies with the latest standards. They can also self-certify their work as compliant with the Building Regulations, and notify this work to Local Authority Building Control.


The ESR has been working to standardise messaging across customer-facing websites to make sure up-to-date information about Competent Person Schemes, routes to Building Regulation Compliance and the scope of notifiable work is easy to access. As part of this, standardised text was sent to all Local Authorities in England and Wales with the support of LABC. Since first being encouraged to adopt this text in 2016, the level of take-up amongst Local Authorities has been strong. Of the 103 Local Authorities sampled in the ESR’s recent review, 79 of them had a link on their website which took you to an RCPE page, and 29 of these authorities hosted information about RCPE directly on their own site.


Barry Turner, Director of Technical Policy at Local Authority Building Control, said "The Registered Competent Person Electrical initiative has made it easier to find electrical installers registered on a Competent Person Scheme, and is a welcome step to helping make the public more aware of the need for electrical work to be carried out in accordance with building regulations. The work of the Electrical Safety Roundtable has helped to make it easy for Local Authorities to display accurate and up to date information concerning complying with Building Regulations and understanding what electrical work is notifiable. While we’d like to see more authorities put this information on their website, the number who have already acted is encouraging, and is helping us to spread a more consistent message."


Chris Bielby, Chairman of the Electrical Safety Roundtable, added "A key way to make the electrical industry safer is to make sure consumers know what is required when they have electrical work done in their homes. It’s promising to see so many Local Authorities making this information available on their websites, and I commend all from the Electrical Safety Roundtable who have been involved in helping us to take this important step."


The ESR will continue to encourage Local Authorities to make accurate and consistent information available to their residents about Competent Person Schemes, and to specifically promote Registered Competent Person Electrical. This, together with the work already being carried out by Building Control officers across the country, should improve electrical safety standards across the board.


Details of all electricians who are registered with a Competent Person Scheme in England and Wales can be found at www.electricalcompetentperson.co.uk. For more information about the work of the ESR, visit www.electricalsafetyroundtable.co.uk.

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