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Qualification levels for simple electrical wiring works
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Posted By Martin Taylor We have an area of our facility where we rig up kitchens and fit things such as under pelmet lighting - cooker hoods etc etc
Traditionally this has been done by a couple of the team but they have recognised that they have no formal qualifications for doing this and have stopped.
The type of work being done is no more than one would expect in a domestic environment - putting plugs onto cables.
The fixed sockets are all installed by professional electricians and tested accordingly.
My question is:-
is there a standard qualification (e.g. NVQ) that would provide the training or assessment that means that we can verify the competence of the guys and allow them to continue the works
many thanks
Martin
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Posted By Bob Shillabeer Martin you have answered your own question by asking is there a NVQ for it. It is not important that there is an NVQ or not just that they need to be trained to do the task correctly in the first instance, and if it as simple a task as you say this will not take long or cost very much. I am assuming the instalation is properly tested by a formally competent person before it is put into formal use by the costomer/user.
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Posted By Martin Taylor thanks Bob - I guess I was looking for some kind of course title that I might look for in local training establishments.
Martin
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Posted By Ali As long as they are competent enough there doesn't have to be any specific course other than a general H&S awareness course. You will have to decide what is competence in their case, which could be a mix of basic H&S awareness and relevant experience. The training should be proportionate to the risk. Ali
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Posted By David B Wright Hi,
I attended a CORGI course run by my local institute called "Essential Electrics". This dealt with electrical issues involved in heating system controls and gave a very good insight into electrical works in a domestic situation. The course lasted a couple of days and the tests were items like termination skills and cable choice etc. Check with your local skills centre.
David Wright
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Posted By Garry Homer Kitchens are one of the special locations where the regulations have been tightened and they now come under Part P of the building regulations if it is a domestic dwelling.
Electricians must then be qualified and registered with an appropriate body, ie, NAPIT if they are to self-certify their own work. Otherwise the work must be notified in advance to the LA building control who will supervise the work and have it tested upon completion. There will be a fee for this.
Garry
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Posted By Alan Hoskins Hi Garry,
The original question was not in relation to a domestic kitchen environment, but a sales area I believe.
A
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Posted By Ron Hunter Martin,
I've been doing similar research on this, having identified a need to 'formalise' the competencies of a couple of in-house engineers. The best I can see thus far is City and Guilds 2377 which is focussed on PAT testing (and costs approx £225). From your perspective, I'm aware that it is fairly common for kitchen installers to cut off the moulded plug on new appliances to enable the cord to pass through units etc. There are many potential pitfalls, perhaps the most significant of which are nicks to conductors caused by poor stripping, inappropriate lengths of protective and current carrying conductor secondary insulation lengths/ poor strain relief, and inappropriate fusing. My thinking is that a PAT Testing qualification should formally cover these basics, and also allow for use of the simple Pass/Fail hand-held PAT Testers widely available on the market. Obviously, the correct cable stripping tools are a must too. What do others think?
What do others think?
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Posted By Robert. Ron, I kindof agree but a PAT tester does not identify, strain relief, fuse size, cable size, condition of outer insulation (sheath), security of cable retainer (plug-top), CC conductors outside the plug. All these guys need is good basic guidance so that they could wire a plug and not mix up the blues and the browns and ---I hope ther G&Y. Not to go around with a pass / fail machine and administer sticky labels. I also hope they're not colour blind!
As for plumbers being taught to carry out cable calcs (another post) is a scary thing. How many electricians carry out a gas pressure test? Ultimately if the said appliances are fitted by qualified electricians, installers,or elec fitters why is their remit not extended to test and commission. Horses for courses.
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Posted By Martin Taylor thanks for picking up this thread guys - I'd given up on finding something but now the CORGI course certainly looks a goer if I can find one in my area.
Oh and yes the application is not in a domestic arena - not even a shop environment - its a mock up area we have within the kitchen development section - lighting if the finished product is a key issue as you might expect
Martin
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Posted By Garry Homer If your staff have been carrying out these jobs correctly and for a number of years if should not be difficult for them to acquire a formal qualification at a local college.
Some courses run as 1 day per week for 10 weeks. This provides the minimum electrical knowledge (C&G 2381 level 3 cert for electrical installations).
Another can run as 8 evenings and 1 day that provides the test and inspection qualification that ensures what they make live is safe (C&G 2391 level 3 cert in inspection and testing). Most colleges will not accept students onto the 2391 course without a formal electrical qualification as these courses are over subscribed by qualified electricians who now need the ability to certify their own work.
Even so, the national pass rate for 2391 is less than 20%.
Garry
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Posted By Martin J Morley Hi, There is an HSE FAQ page at http://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/faq.htm#a5 which discusses this matter. Their simple comment is that "Simple tasks such as wiring a plug are within the grasp of many people" but they then go on to qualify that response - the previous replies have explored a similar range of options.
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Posted By Ron Hunter Yes Martin, perhaps the HSE would be more honest to say that the simple task of wiring a plug incorrectly is within the grasp of most people? hOw often do we see the L,N &E all stripped back to the same length and stuffed into the available space in the plug top?
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Posted By Glyn Atkinson Never assume that someone can strip a plug down and refit wiring correctly to the industry standard.
How would you train a new learner? Go from this as a starting point in your quest for qualification - and stop when you have reached the level needed for your particular work.
A local college practical wiring course to C&G standards as new learner apprentices have to undergo may be appropriate, because you have already stated that qualified personnel test after installation is complete.
Local apprentice trainees probably go to a local training provider and will complete test boards to satisfy practical testing by the governing body in your local area.
My advice would be to contact your local college for further advice and information.
You need to prove that anyone wiring up the show area is competent to do so safely and there will be some form of local technical course that will satisfy your requirement.
As previously stated, the wiring is possibly a semi skilled level of training, but the testing needs to have the "put it right if faulty" element to it.
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