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thermiclance

Ok so I'm after some advice please.
I did post this in another thread but didn't get the response I wanted.
It appears that half of my post disappeared after posting.

So I'm 43 and looking to change my career back to an electrician.

My history ( makes me sound really old now)
At 16 (1989)I done a 4 year apprenticeship scheme with the met police ( at the time they had there own in house building maintenance staff sparkies, plumbers, chippies you name it we had it and it was very too heavy with loads of management) I digress.
During the apprenticeship I was enrolled at Southgate tech college and over 3 years done the city and guilds 236 parts 1 & 2.
I completed my apprenticeship and got my signed deeds etc. I stayed with the firm for about another 10 years.
Then moved to something else.
Now after 17 years and with family commitments I'm looking to come back to the tools.
About 18 months ago I went through this same thought process and enrolled myself on a couple of electrical courses.

I passed the 2394 & 2395 combined - initial verification inspection and testing & periodic testing. I also passed the 17th edition amendment 3, which I did a month later.

I had all the intents and purposes of building up a business then once the electrical work out weighs my current job, then look to leave. I was hoping to do this within the year.

However.
My wife was made redundant out of the blue.
So I have needed to do overtime to cover the bills, therefore not being able to follow up the electrical route.

I'd only worked out the qualifications that I needed before the next step -However I never worked out my next step.
I have lots of people ask me if I can do electrical work for them yet but I decline the work as I'm worried that I'd need to be a member of an electrical council (nic eic etc).

So some questions I would like some help answering if you please, as I don't have any friends that are electricians ( the ones I knew have died). Old age if your wondering!
And they don't tell you at college.

1. So I guess I'm fully qualified to to work as an electrican, if not what other courses do I need to pass?
2. I'd guess I'd need insurance - any advice?
3. Am I allowed to go out and do EICR's
4. Equipment MFTs what are people's recommendations. Fluke, mugger I mean megger?
5. Electrical councils do I need to join one?
Why?
And how do I do this?
I need to show completed work that I've done? How does one do this if I cannot do any work till I've joined a council. It's like a merry go round that I need to get on that doesn't stop.

Any Advice please.
Regards
Danny
 
Welcome to the forum.

1. yes you are qualified to work as an electrician, you have trained and worked as an electrician and you have done the courses to get you up to date with the current versions of the regulations.
It would be a good idea (if you have not done so already) in making sure you have caught up fully with all the niggling little changes that have occurred since you were last working in the field.
2. you would need public liability insurance to £2m (£5m for council work)
You may want to consider professional indemnity insurance if you are doing EICRs
3. So long as you have the experience and can correctly interpret an electrical installation's safety and obviously are able to do the inspection and testing competently then you can complete EICRs. Some businesses will be asking for you to be registered with a competent person scheme for EICRs so if you feel this will be required then you can do it, though it is a bit of a box ticking exercise.
4. Whatever you are familiar with that allows you to complete the full range of tests you are expecting to do. There is actually not much to choose between manufacturers except for the mode of operation, things like automatically taking measurements, how easy it is to select a function and the type of test lead connection. Models differences are in the capabilities of the meters, e.g. do you need phase rotation, are you going to be testing earth electrodes and so on. Have a look at the forum sponsor test-meter to review the ranges available.
5. Competent person schemes, hmm, in practice it is most cost effective (because that is how the councils have set up there costs) to join a competent person scheme if you are going to be doing notifiable work. Read Approved Document P to check on the requirements for notification, you will need to know this to join a scheme anyway. Any of the defined work that requires notification to BC can be done without prior notification to BC and without paying their fee if you are a registered with a competent person scheme. Without this membership the process is slower more inconvenient and more expensive.
Contact the scheme you wish to join and get their introduction pack to find out their requirements, qualifications, paperwork, procedures, payment, etc.
Normally you can do a notifiable job just before your assessment have your work assessed and then notify through the scheme once you are accepted. Not strictly the way it should be done but there is no other alternative without having to pay BCs fee as well, which will be similar to the registration cost, so not really sensible.
Certsure is both of NICEIC, www.niceic.com/, 01582 531 000 and ELECSA
www.elecsa.co.uk, 0845 634 9043
Other schemes are:
NAPIT, www.napit.org.uk, 0845 543 0330
STROMA, www.stroma.com, 0845 621 1111
Schemes not so electrically orientated but the same effect:
Benchmark, www.benchmark-cert.co.uk, 0238 051 7069
Blue Flame Certification Limited, www.blueflamecertification.com/, 0845 1940 31, (via NAPIT)
BESCA, www.besca.org.uk, 0800 652 5533
OFTEC, OFTEC - Oil & Renewable Heating Technologies - http://www.oftec.org.uk/, 0845 6585080


Hope it all works out for you.
 
I had a history similar to your apprenticeship some years back, technically as you have been out for so long you would need a level 3 qualification such as the 2357 or 2365 level 3 if you want to do an AM2 and/or join a part p scheme, alternatively there is a pathway to prove competence and 2 years recent experience. I had the same qualification as you and C&G told me it was all out of date. I had to either prove competence with 2 years experience or supply a level 3 cert to join Stroma. The details for the requirements are as below although I understand some notable schemes will sign you up on production of a cheque!:)
Electrotechnical Assessment Specification - EAS - IET Electrical - http://electrical.------.org/building-regulations/eas/index.cfm
 
Richard
Wow
Many thanks for taking the time for your in depth reply.
I'll have to have a good old look around these forums as it would appear there is a wealth of knowledge here. I'll have a look for the MFT reviews definitely.
Competent person schemes- blimey I didn't realise that there were so many.
 

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