Part P proposals delayed again

Work on a private members bill on sustainability has further delayed plans to bring electrical safety into the scope of the Building Regulations. The earliest the proposed Part P could now come into force is likely to be 1 January 2005.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has told EMC that work on Part P is effectively on hold at the moment. Eight bodies are waiting to hear whether they are successful with their applications to run assessment schemes that will allow contractors to self-certify their installations.

Following the ODPM's October 2003 deadline for applications, it was expected that one or more schemes would have been given the green light before Christmas. The announcement has subsequently slipped further and further back and is not now expected until Easter at the earliest.

"Part P has been pushed aside by a parliamentary bill," explained Ian Drummond at the ODPM, "but also we are being very rigorous in the vetting process."

It is understood that, following initial meetings, further clarification has been sought from all bodies. "It is hoped that we can reconvene the assessment panel in March," said Drummond.

Eight bodies have now applied to run schemes. The ECA is part of a collaboration with the IEE and BRE Certification, and the NICEIC, Zurich Management Systems, FENSA, BSI Product Services, CORGI Services and OFTEC have recently been joined by B M Trada Certification.

How many of the applicants get through remains to be seen. The rigorous vetting process for the electrical schemes follows less-than-happy experiences with the introduction of self-certification to the glazing industry.

The ODPM's criteria dictate that assessment must be carried out as required by the Electrotechnical Assessment Scheme (EAS) or an equivalent scheme and certifying bodies should be accredited to EN 45011.