Another problem was the insurance companies were insisting on IEE regs compliance---- After IEE had been incorporated into IET.

Anybody notice the change on the book cover

Ah, there was a bit of inertia about that. If you looked at the SPINE of the paper versions, it still said IEE on there for many years after the change (up to the 17th Ed I think) - so it's not that surprising the rest of the world didn't notice immediately. In any event the proper designation probably should be "BS 7671" these days.

I own a commercial property and wish to be designated as--- Competent Person

What sort of competent person? Electrically? For installation work?  Or for things like fire assessments or H&S Duty Holder?

   - Andy.

Many Thanks Andy for the reply.

It is a Country Inn. I completely rewired the place 15 years ago so that's all sound.

Just the odd-- add on bits now.--  no major installation..

So its general Electrical safety.

 Staff just report any problem to me. and I remedy within a day- dependant on spare parts

Also Commercial microwaves etc..

H & S duty holder would be down to me. I have the Fire Drill --- Legionnaires-- Pat-- all under my purview.   .

I get the fire cert from out fire guy annually. That's Covered.

Does the book offer any insight on these areas.  

If I can jet over to another country and be designated Chief Engineer. Is the IET selling itself short in the UK.

Tony

OK, so if it's in England or Wales, and someone lives there (sharing the same supply meter as the rest of the pub), then it's Part P of the building regs that's (one of) the stumbling blocks. To be accredited for that sort of work you need to be a Registered Competent Person - note "Registered" - it's membership of one of the schemes that counts, rather than competence per se. The schemes each have their requirements for qualifications (as distinct from competence) - fairly modern C&Gs would go a long way in that direction, and they'll do their own evaluation of you as well. MIET probably wouldn't help of itself though (you can be an MIET in any one of a vast variety of fields, not all of which would provide you with the skills needed for mains electrical work). And BS 7671 differs from the US NEC in a few fundamental ways.

You don't have to be a registered competent person for all electrical work - a lot of minor work is exempt from notification and hence from the need for it to be done by a registered person. Even notifiable work can be done by non-registered persons provided it's pre-notified to building control (but there is a significant financial cost doing it that way). There's even an official option for an unregistered person to do the work under the supervision of a registered person.

Otherwise there's just the general BS 7671 requirement to be "competent" - but in the typical UK (unwritten constitution) style, there's no particular definition or single specified qualification to meet that - it all depends on the circumstances (if you're only working on singe phase systems there's no particular need to understand 3-phase for example, even if other domestic installations are 3-phase). By and large no-one will challenge you to "prove" competence ... until something goes wrong, and then it's a matter of showing what you decided was reasonable in the circumstances.

For the business side (even if it's sharing a supply with domestic), The Health & Safety at Work Act, and it's Electricity at Work regulations come into play, but again (AFAIK) there's no particular demand for qualifications, just this same (vague) demand for competence.

   - Andy.

Thanks Andy.  I will read that over in detail tomorrow.

What I find disappointing is that when you  were IEE you were Electrical and highly qualified and THE MAN.

As the IEE wrote the regbook.

The IET seems to be  -- to much of a catchall.   They should specialise and give it more individual clout.

They could make it IET (E)  Electrical. specialist     and IET (C) for computers  specialist   IET ( etc) for  etc,

Regards

Tony 

Hi Tony,

Actually even when it was the IEE that wasn't the case (or if people did treat MIEE as such it was a bit dodgy). My chartership certificate says "MIEE Chartered Electrical Engineer". I am not, and have never been, an electrical engineer, and anyone who trusted me as an electrical competent person on the strength of it probably shouldn't be allowed to trust people...

And going back in time, my brother got his MIEE Chartered Electrical Engineer in the early 1970s (he's much older than me), and he was never an electrical engineer either. So it's hardly a recent thing.

But I'd agree with your statement if it was turned around, and as far as I know that is the case: "the relevant qualifications and experience supported by MIET accreditation would achieve Competent Person Status in that particular field". But "the relevant qualifications and experience" must come first. And I'd also throw in "recent and up to date".

I've got a feeling we've had this discussion on another thread?

Thanks,

Andy

Hi Andy,

Thank you for your comments (and from everyone else on the thread) - you are correct, this topic of discussion does come up from time to time so some people may recognise it.

MIET status uses assessment criteria which can be applied across multiple disciplines and for this reason could not be used as an assertion of meeting the competent person requirements as these are specific to the electrical sector.

The competent person scheme providers, e.g. NICEIC, NAPIT, assess qualified supervisors (QS) against the EAS:

Electrotechnical Assessment Specification (theiet.org) 

Within this area of the IET’s website, there is a qualifications guide:

https://electrical.theiet.org/media/4k4bw244/eas-qualifications-guide-october-2024.pdf 

This shows a number of routes in which a person can become a QS.

Due to the ever changing nature and evolvement of the electrical industry this assessment criteria needs the expert knowledge of the installer to be current.  There is, therefore, a fundamental need to keep up to date through relevant training and CPD (which IET membership could support you with).  This is why (as Andy rightly points out above) even the historic, professional recognition of MIEE or Chartered Electrical Engineer would not confer recognition of competence against the “Competent Person Scheme” either. 

If we can be of any further assistance please let us know.

IET Membership Engagement Team.