In message ,
Andrew McKay wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jul 2003 16:35:48 +0100, Martin Angove
wrote:
As some of you may be aware, I'm seriously considering "going solo" and
setting up as a jobbing electrician.
Could I be the first to wish you good luck?
Just one thing - do you have an electricians background in terms of
apprenticeship? I did my 16th edition certification a short time ago,
but although I'm a well qualified electronics engineer I'd not be able
to describe myself as an electrician.
I was informed by some of the sparkies on the C&G2381 course that next
year the government are introducing a corgi-type requirement for
sparkies, and you can't get that certification unless you've served
the time and done the courses.
Good point. Two things. Firstly, as you say there doesn't seem to be any
requirement for someone calling himself an "electrician" to have any
kind of qualifications at all at the moment, other than Public Liability
Insurance, secondly although my background is electronics, all my jobs
have involved an element of light electrical work, and in my last job I
was under the watchful eye of a time-served & certified British Steel
electrician. I have also undertaken a reasonable amount of d-i-y
electrical work so as well as the theory I know some of the practice.
Oh yes, and I've just done the 2381 as well :-)
The threat of registration as I understand it will put the NICEIC onto
a similar footing as CORGI. This is my main reason for wanting to start
as soon as possible: to be NICEIC registered you have to have been
trading for 6 months minimum (used to be 12), have done the 2381 and
2391 and you have to be able to provide examples of your work for
inspection. If I start now while NICEIC registration isn't a
requirement, then when or if it does become so, I *should* be ready for
it. I plan to do the 2391 while working. It's all built into the
early-days spreadsheets.
Ignore the budget for now, but toolwise, and ignoring the obvious like
screwdrivers and test meters, what would you consider to be the
*essentials* for an electrician?
Test equipment - RCD tester, earth leakage tester and a couple of
others. That costs 500 pounds upwards.
Yes. I'm taking these "as read". I've seen a rather nice "all in one"
kit for ukp700.
When you carry out electrical work you are supposed to issue a
certificate, even for minor changes. And you can only certificate
something if you've tested it. And I expect next year the certificates
will have to be issued by someone who is the equivalent of corgi
registered.
I quite like the certification concept. At first glance the forms in the
back of the regulations look complicated, but they're really just good
practice.
Thanks for your input!
Hwyl!
M.
--
Martin Angove (it's Cornish for "Smith") - ARM/Digital SA110 RPC
See the Aber Valley --
http://www.tridwr.demon.co.uk/abervalley.html
.... "Bother", said Pooh, as he failed the dope test.