Videos of EICRs on Youtube

Rather an extreme example! (I had in mind a 1970s/80s installation with pvc cables and 13A socket outlets). The installation you describe might possibly be as safe as first intended but cumulatively would most likely merit a complete replacement. There aren't any 1888 installations left out there in the wild as far as I am aware, but there are still many 70s & 80s installs which today's 20-somethings would be scratching their heads over. 

A few years ago I was asked to do an EICR on an installation installed in the 1890’s because the lady had students from a college as lodgers and the college said she needed a satisfactory EICR.

I told her it needed rewiring free of charge.

Sparkingchip: 
I told her it needed rewiring free of charge.

Rewiring free of charge? ?

Free of charge due to it obviously being pointless doing an EICR on an installation that was over a hundred years old, mind you it did have a beautiful rosewood and porcelain fuse board with double pole fuses.

The simple truth is the standard of the housing stock in the UK is very low, as those of us actually working in peoples homes know, with many having electrical installations that are time expired and in need of replacement.

davezawadi (David Stone): 
 

Ah, so none eh? That is the state of the industry.

I have thirteen City and Guilds qualifications plus an assortment from other bodies and no they are not all short courses, they amount to a considerable amount of training, gaining these qualifications took far more time than it takes to get a degree and they are actually relevant to the work I carry out as an electrician.

I don’t mind sharing my 18th Edition exam results on this forum, to be perfectly honest I consider the 18th Edition award to be of minor significance in comparison with some of the other City and Guilds qualifications I have and it’s the other awards I have that I consider make me an electrician, not this one.

Very good Andy, your mark is in the top 5% or so of candidates I have seen. This is the “competency” needed by the certification bodies for membership, but you consider it inadequate. What do you actually think is the competency needed?

When I enrolled at college to the electrical courses as evening classes the head of department said I could go straight into the second year of the C&G 2360 Part 1 course because “The first year is for sixteen year olds straight out of school who don’t know how to drill a hole in a wall and put a Rawlplug in to hold a screw, so you don’t need to do it”.

What he did say I needed to do and what I did do was:

• City and Guilds Electrical installation 2360 part 1
• City and Guilds Electrical installation 2360 part 2
• City and Guilds 16th Edition 2380
• City and Guilds Inspection and testing 2391
• City and Guilds Design, erection and verification 2400

I was the only one out of the original twenty who enrolled to make it through to the end, after three years of attending evening classes and getting five electrical City and Guilds awards I said to the head of department “That’s it then, I’m an electrician“ he replied “Do you think so?”.

Since then I have retaken the Wiring Regulations exam three times because of updates and done other job specific training courses leading to additional qualifications as CPD, such as the C&G PV installation and maintenance course and PAT, as well as BPEC and NAPIT courses for domestic ventilation, water regulation, emergency lighting, fire alarms, in amongst others.

Generally electrical work is incidental to some other installation work such as installing lighting, heating, appliances, etc being an electrician is not just about joining wires together, it’s about making a whole installation function as required.

I really should earn more money.

Sparkingchip: 
“The first year is for sixteen year olds straight out of school who don’t know how to drill a hole in a wall and put a Rawlplug in to hold a screw, so you don’t need to do it”.

Was that when Rawlplugs still contained asbestos? I think that I still have half a box of them. And then there was the Rawlplug powder which was made into a paste. Lethal! ?

Take this back the other way.

I would expect an eighteen year electrician with a craft level 2 qualifications such as the C&G 2360 part 1 or whatever the equivalent is now and two years work experience to be able to complete an electrical installation first and second fix or install a circuit using SWA and other similar materials for an appliance using plans and specifications provided to them with minimal supervision.

I would not expect that electrician to design the installation or circuit and to verify it by testing then certificate it.

Many electricians I have worked with never progressed beyond this stage, they can earn good money first fixing and second fixing new houses and flats or doing other specific work under supervision, but never test and certify as another guy follows them up doing this when the supply is actually available.