What is a Competent Person
A 'Competent Person' is a firm that has been adjudged to be sufficiently competent to self-certify that its work complies with the Building Regulations. To become a Competent Person a firm must apply to become registered with a scheme that has been authorised by Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). It will then be assessed against the scheme criteria.
A Competent Person is not required to notify a Building Control body of its proposals to carry out electrical installation work before it begins and neither is its work subject to inspection. However, on completion of the work, a Competent Person must report the job details to its scheme operator – in this case BRE certification Ltd – for onward transmission to the relevant local authority and so that the customer can be supplied with a certificate stating that the work complies with the Building Regulations.
In the case of Part P schemes, the DCLG has issued guidelines concerning the minimum standard of technical competence required:
- Part P schemes should ensure that electrical work in dwellings is designed, installed, inspected and tested to the standard required by BS7671;
- Applicants should be assessed to be able to work to these standards
- This assessment should be carried out as required in the Electrotechnical Assessment Scheme (EAS) or equivalent. Full details of the EAS can be found on the IET's website www.theiet.org