UK electric qualifications?

[JohnW2]

Personally I'd disagree with that description. They are a trade group - calling them a regulatory body infers rights/privileges/authority that they don't have. They do have a regulatory function in as much as they require certain qualifications for membership and (from what I've read here) police standards of work by their members ... but that authority applies only to their own members and effectively the worst they can do is throw someone out of the club. ... It is this latter bit that means they've been given (along with others, like ESR who also seem to like talking about themselves as something they aren't) the right to allow their members to self-notify work. But that's different to them being a regulatory body as most people would consider it. ... Ie, it's not like gas work where, by law, you need to be registered with Gas Safe before you can legally work on gas systems* ...

That's all true, and it is inevitably the case given that, as you say, the undertaking of electrical work is not, itself, a regulated trade.

However, if one focussses on just the self-notifcation, that is regulated (by law), so in that one respect the scheme operators are as close to being regulatory bodies as they could be. The only complication is that there is more than one of them, but an individual scheme operator can 'throw someone out of their club' - so, unless they can get into one of the other clubs (and hopefully they might talk to one another about people who get thrown out?) that means that they have exercised a law-based authoirty to prevent that person self-certfying. Apart from the complication of the multiple scheme operators, that is, IMO, a sort of regulation.

Kind Regards, John

 

[SimonH2]

I just wanted to avoid the OP thinking that they are something more than they are - like Gas Safe are to gas work and the GMC are to doctors, and so on.

Of course, if someone is thrown out of the scheme, that does stop them self certifying but in no way prevents them continuing to do electrical work. It just puts them at a significant commercial disadvantage*. Calling them a regulatory body somehow implies that they have the power to stop someone working in the trade.

As an aside, how well do these schemes police members ? Ie, do you have to be "so bad they can't ignore you" to get thrown out, or "have to stay on your toes", or somewhere in between ?

 

[JohnW2]

I just wanted to avoid the OP thinking that they are something more than they are - like Gas Safe are to gas work and the GMC are to doctors, and so on.

Sure, I understand that - and, as we've both said, that is an inevitable consequence of the fact that, unlike 'gas fitting' and medicine, electrical work is not, itself, a regulated trade - anyone can style themselves as 'an electrician' and undertake electrical work.

As an aside, how well do these schemes police members ? Ie, do you have to be "so bad they can't ignore you" to get thrown out, or "have to stay on your toes", or somewhere in between ?

An interesting question, to which I don't know the answer. One would hope that the answer is not too influenced by the fact that the scheme operators get money from those who they don't throw out!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

hopefully they might talk to one another about people who get thrown out?

I suspect that would be unlawful.

 

[JohnW2]

hopefully they might talk to one another about people who get thrown out?

I suspect that would be unlawful.

You could be right - just as the law (or fear of it) has rendered useful references almost a thing of the past.

Maybe it would be lawful for them to ask about past memberships of any other schemes? Even if they weren't allowed to ask about the circumstances surrounding the ending of any such memberships, such information might at least arouse some suspicions!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Maybe it would be lawful for them to ask about past memberships of any other schemes?

What reason would they lawfully have for asking that?

Is an investigation into people's pasts one of the requirements for running a scheme?

 

[JohnW2]

Maybe it would be lawful for them to ask about past memberships of any other schemes?

What reason would they lawfully have for asking that?

As one of the aspects of gaining information about 'experience', perhaps? Who knows!

Is an investigation into people's pasts one of the requirements for running a scheme?

In common sense terms, and in the interests of going a little way towards protecting the public from potentially incompetent/dangerous 'electricians', being able to ascertain that people had been thrown out of another scheme for incompetence, fraud or whatever would clearly be 'in the public interest' - even if some (perhaps well-inteioned but...) 'over-protective' laws may prevent it!

Kind Regards, John