News article published: 28th May 2024
"Any electric shock above 80mA can kill."
These were the words of our Electrical Installations Training Manager, Bob Skilton.
We sat down with him ahead of this, our final Electrical Safety Month blog entry.
That is the reality that any electrician must keep in mind when designing, installing, inspecting and verifying electrical installations.
“As tradespeople, you have a duty of care to not only yourself but to the occupiers and operators of the site that you're working on. That duty is to ensure that all work is carried out in a safe and efficient manner, before handing over a site that is fully compliant with the latest updates to legislation guidance. Therefore, maintaining your knowledge of the job, expertise in the field and familiarity with the law should be high on your to-do list.”
Bob Skilton | Electrical Installations Training Manager
But how do you develop your understanding or best practice as an electrician?
Where to Start...
It is recognised within Building Regulations Part P that best practice for working electricians is to register with a national body such as National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) or NAPIT to name two. However, in order to get to this point, any prospective electrician must complete an industry standard NVQ level course at a recognised college.
Building Regulations Part P does specify a need for electricians to self-certify compliance with said document whenever making any 'notifiable' works.
Regardless of whether you are an individual or an enterprise registered to self-certify, there are a number of regulations and standards that tackle the subject of electrical safety that you / your team should be working to.
The main points of reference being:
- The Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002
- The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
- The Building Regulations Approved Document P
These are statutory documents and must be adhered to.
An example of non-statutory best practice is the Requirements for Electrical Installations - The IET Wiring Regulations BS7671 - 18th Edition.
A draft version of Amendment 3:2024 to BS7671:2018 is now available.
Between the 8th May and 5th June, IET and BSI are calling for comments on an amendment to the IET Wiring Regulations.
This amendment, once approved, will be available for free as a PDF download from the IET website.
They advise that to be up-to-date you will need both the brown book and a copy of Amendment 3:2024.
The deadline for comments is 5pm on Wednesday, 5th June. These must be submitted via the BSI’s Standards Development Portal.
Reading, reciting and learning these documents is a worthy use of a practising electrician's time, however, as a training provider, we are aware that not everyone finds it easy to learn this way.
With the majority of Electrical Installation qualifications, come a whole host of pre-requisites and suggested learnings that delegates should undertake before attending a training course.
So where could you start with PPL Training?
Below, we have drawn up a development pathway taking into account our existing course offering to help you get started.
PPL Training Electrical Installations Training Pathway
Mechanical to Electrical Conversion (Foundation)
City & Guilds Assured
This first step on our pathway is for non-electricians. Multi-skilling / Cross-skilling can be a fantastic money saving exercise. You may be an engineer with a mechanical bias who would benefit from an increased awareness of electrical principles. If so this is the course for you.
Topics covered include safe isolation, wiring of motors in multiple configurations, electrical awareness and the Electricity at Work Regulations.
18th Edition Wiring Regulations | City & Guilds 2382-22
City & Guilds Level 3
The first of our City & Guilds Qualifications on our pathway. The 18th Edition would give delegates a general knowledge of electrical requirements to comply with health and safety guidance. Essentially this course helps delegates to understand electrotechnical principles following the British Standard BS7671.
In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (PAT Testing) | City & Guilds 2377-77
City & Guilds Level 3
This is one option following the successful completion of our 18th Edition course.
This course covers certification of items of electrical equipment that we use everyday that aren’t part of the fixed installation.
Prior to attending you should have a general level of electrotechnical knowledge gained through experience / qualification. You could also be asked to prove this understanding with an ECS card, JIB card or similar.
Fundamental Inspection and Electrical Testing | City & Guilds 2392-10
City & Guilds Level 2
You will be testing electrical installations to establish their suitability for use. Therefore it is beneficial to hold the 18th edition and have an electrotechnical background. The 2392 covers initial verification (new installations).
These installations will be single phase, domestic. Other than having completed a full apprenticeship, this could be a delegate's first experience of testing a full electrical system. You will follow the methodologies laid out in BS7671 and supporting documentation, such as Guidance Note 3. This looks specifically at testing.
Inspection, Testing and Certification of Electrical Installations | City & Guilds 2391-52
City & Guilds Level 3
You should already bea practicing electrician with the appropriate experience and qualifications to carry out initial and periodic (maintenance) verifications.
You will gain knowledge on single and three phase verifications. Essentially, this course is ideal for Electrical Maintenance teams.
Under the Electricity at Work Regulations, you are required to carry out electrical maintenance tasks to ensure that the installation is safe for continued use. Delegates will be tasked with interpreting the results of these tests and comparing them with BS7671 to establish potential risks.
Design and Verification of Electrical Installations | City & Guilds 2396
City & Guilds Level 4
This is the most advanced course that we offer. You will require an in-depth knowledge of BS7671, electrical testing and general electrotechnical knowledge.
By expanding upon the design aspects of BS7671, you will establish the 'Why' of the required test regimen.
There are specific courses for specialist environments / applications such as Emergency Lighting, EV Charging, Fire Detection and Alarms Systems (Domestic and Commercial).
It is important to remember that even if you were to do every one of our electrical installations training courses, it doesn’t make you an electrician.
The only way to become a certified electrician with one of the national bodies such as the NICEIC and gain a JIB card is to complete industry standard NVQ level training at a recognised college.
City & Guilds Approved
Our Electrical Installations qualifications require us to provide City & Guilds Approved practical assessment facilities.
Whether your assessments are completed in York or Slough, you can rest assured that the same practice and assessment boards are provided, with our great team of knowledgeable and experienced tutors to guide you throughout your time on the course.
Supplement your knowledge...
As a City & Guilds Approved training provider, we deliver the suite of courses above to supplement your knowledge and continue your professional development.
So, whether you are looking to get started with City & Guilds Assured training, supplement your knowledge with City & Guilds qualifications, or gain industry specific certifications from our Fire Safety training courses, PPL Training is well placed to help you.
