Inspired by the thread "Corgi's [sic] and electrics".

The question is, do tradesmen need to be renaissance men (women)? I'm
not really talking about largeish companies here where they can afford
to have one or two "competent persons" on their staff who (in theory)
check the work of others, but of the one-, two-, and three-man bands who
seem to do the bulk of small to medium household work in this country.

Example: Installing a new boiler invariably involves at least some
electrical work.

Will the CORGI exams in years to come involve electrical work? Do they
at the moment? If electrical work is to become regulated in the same way
as gas and high-presure plumbing (part P) then they must. Either that,
or you get into the realm of a gas man having to get his electrical work
checked by someone competent. If that is the case then it makes just as
much sense for the householder competent with a soldering iron and a
screwdriver to do all his own work and get both the plumbing and the
electrics checked afterwards.

What about builders? Most household building work will involve either
plumbing or electrical work (or both), even if it is simply moving a
socket or a radiator from one wall to another. When was the last time
you saw a CORGI or NICEIC-registered general builder?

What about electricians? An electrician called in to do a (relatively)
minor job may see all sorts of infringements of building regulations.
How far should/can he go down this route? I'm thinking in particular
here of the thorny issue of ventillation, particularly of bathrooms.
Yes, I have had a problem along these lines lately.

Sorry, just a bunch of questions, but it might be the start of an
interesting discussion...

Hwyl!

M.

--
Martin Angove: http://www.tridwr.demon.co.uk/
Two free issues: http://www.livtech.co.uk/ Living With Technology
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