It was with concern that I read the letter ‘Treated like children’ (EMC, October 2006, page 5). Since the change of name to the Electrical Safety Council, the NICEIC Group has not, in any respect, changed its assessment practice in the way described. Indeed, it could be said that exactly the opposite has occurred as, with the introduction of Part P, NICEIC now faces stiff competition and cannot afford to, and neither would it want to, act in the big brother way detailed.

For the NICEIC its most important assets are the clients that it serves and its staff that provide the service. Our engineers provide a face-to-face link with our clients and it is imperative that they conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times.

Problems will arise, particularly if a contractor is unhappy with the outcome of the assessment; this is inevitable when more than 20 000 contractors are being visited each year. When this happens the client is provided with support to ensure that any non-compliance is resolved to their benefit. In doing this, the NICEIC continues to ensure the safety of electrical installations in the UK remains at the highest level possible.

Prompted by Mr Moore’s letter I referred to his records. While it would be inappropriate for me to discuss his personal details I did note from correspondence that he had in fact been complimentary to the engineer.

It is fully accepted that the NICEIC has to continuously strive to meet its clients’ expectations and this we will continue to do. However, this must be done within the framework of the regulatory and legislative environment that we and other certification bodies have to work. I will contact E J Moore to discuss his concerns.

Trevor Nash Managing director NICEIC Certification Services

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor

Postscript

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