Zimmy,

There has never ben anytimg to stop any tom dick or harry from starting a business as an electrician, same as a plumber or joiner etc.

Dont loose too much sleep over it

Not like this should be news to you zimmy, I seem to recall that I was not the only one trying to tell you that qualifications were not the 'be all and end all' in this thread.

http://forum.iosh.co.uk/...spx?g=posts&t=106815

I guess it's (slightly) easier for you to believe it when the man from the NICEIC says it versus some of us on here?

But, as I have said to you before, it is not my job to be competent, it is my job to employ someone who is competent. If I employ someone who cannot prove their competence to me by qualification, etc, and they do it wrong, then it is me who is responsible (lucky me).

I would not employ someone who was not qualified and I think most reputable H&S people would feel the same.... so with this new revelation of yours, nothing has actually changed! Time to stop panicking - huzzah!

I happen to think that electricians should be licensed to work. Same as the gas trades. If one has not got the relevant qualification by sitting an appropriate exam, say C&G, then they should not be working in that field. For example, people working as H&S posts without any qualifications. Would anyone from IOSH think that that is a good idea? If no 2391 then they should not be testing. If no 2400 etc then keep away from design. As it is we have a free-for-all. It all makes being an electrician a bit of a laughing stock.

Not at all - We do well to keep churing over the competence issue as eventually some of the muddy ideas may stick!!! We will the erhaps all be able to assess competence more clearly without meaningless PQQ questions. We will also feel safe that tradesmen and testers will not go out and set death traps for the innocent user or occupier. But that is the Building Regs post started by Firesafetybod.

The BR enforcement is indeed a serious issue which seems to be eluding many people until some catastrophic event occurs and every one will then be looking for a scapegoat. We actually do need to raise some voices about the ability to cretae relaxations of the BR to less than approved document basic standards and still get a certificate of compliance. Both this and the last government fell into the self regulation trap and look how well it has worked with the press. Your example merely demonstrates the degree of laxity that exists.

Bob