Re: One month to go until BS 7671:2018+A1:2020 is withdrawn….act now!

So if we have say Amendment X and that is valid from for use from date A and must be used from date B then from date A to date B we have (usually six months but has been 2 years) a period within which both versions can be said to be the current version?

Can be seen to be a current version of the regs, quite so. Nothing to stop more than one version of a standard being 'current' until one is withdrawn or deprecated.
Mike.

So, in the overlap interval, an EICR (or EIC) could be conducted to either of the two current versions?

in the 17th Edition 621.2 it used to say "The identification of installation defects and departures from the requirements of these Regulations"

That was changed  the 18th to "installation defects and non-compliances with the relavant parts of BS7671"

In Note 2 to 651.2 it refers to earlier editions of BS 7671.

No doubt those looking for ambiguity will claim a lack of clarity but the guidance in IET GN3 provided clear guidance to say the current ediotion of BS 7671.

JP

OlympusMons said:

If BS7671 2018 had had a reg that said you should I&T to the current version there would be no problem.

I don't think there's a problem as it stands.

Why would a standard need to contain a requirement not to use a withdrawn version of itself? Surely this is predicated by the use and status of the standard? A contract or agreement may alter the precedence of an earlier version of a standard over a later version, although the parties would need to understand whether this affected any other obligations or duties, and implement appropriate variation processes where necessary.

Regulation 3 does not specify how an installation must be inspected and tested: it simply requires that the work is done by a qualified person. However, the definition of "qualified person" in R.2 refers to the "electrical safety standards", which in turn refer to BS 7671:2018 (+0).

So it could be argued that both the inspection and testing, and remedial work are to be undertaken in accordance with BS 7671:2018 until such time as Parliament catches up.

I haven't heard that the Property Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal is awash with cases concerning electrical safety.

As I like to point out from time to time, the Landlord regs require two main things: (1) for the property to be compliant with BS 7671:2020 at all times, and (2) for a T&I to be carried out every 5 years by a competent person, and anything flagged that violates (1) needs to be fixed within 28 days. Nowhere does it say that the inspection must be to BS 7671. A qualified electrician could write a report detailing how well the wiring complies with the principles of Feng Shui and the landlord would have discharged their obligation under (2).

In practise, since the landlord still has obligation (1), if they have any sense they will ask for the inspection to be done to the current BS 7671, then fix up anything which would make them fall foul of (1).

There's also the issue that classifying things as C1/C2/C3/FI isn't actually a requirement for BS 7671 T&I - its not mentioned in Ch 65, only in A6, which is informative (although the form in A6 is to be taken as a model). And the government has also realised that virtually no house complies fully with BS 7671:2020, so in their guidance docs they say words to the effect of "don't worry about C3s, and touch wood, the council won't prosecute you".

My point is that both versions during that (often) six month period could be considered "the current version" to all intents and purposes

My point is that both versions during that (often) six month period could be considered "the current version" to all intents and purposes

ebee said:

My point is that both versions during that (often) six month period could be considered "the current version" to all intents and purposes

Agreed, if there is a cut-over period, that is the case.

This is the same with UK Designated Standards for UKCA marking, and OJEU standards for CE marking - the lists of those standards show when the presumption of conformity for a specific version of a standard will cease, and usually aligns with the withdrawal date. Hence, we see the status of versions of certain standards (usually product standards) showing 'current, superseded' before moving to 'withdrawn' or 'superseded, withdrawn'.