ELECTROTECHNICAL trade association SELECT’s campaign to regulate electricians has received a boost as the Scottish Government announces a call for evidence.
The call to gather evidence on the extent of substandard electrical installations in Scotland and the risks posed to the general public has been welcomed by SELECT.
The association said it was a “golden opportunity” to detail examples of poor or unsafe work, which will reinforce the case for making it an offence for someone to call themselves an electrician without holding appropriate qualifications.
The call for evidence is open to the general public, the electrical workforce, those affected by any such defective or unsafe electrical installations, those completing retrospective work, emergency services, insurance companies, local authorities, trade association and certification bodies and others.
The investigation will focus on a specific period, between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2018 and will concentrate on issues of defective or unsafe work within a domestic setting.
Jamie Hepburn, Scottish Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills, who recently hosted a working group on the issue, is asking people to participate via an online survey. Submissions must be made by February 19, 2019.
Alan Wilson, acting managing director of SELECT commented, “It’s good to see the Scottish Government take this first step towards regulation and we appreciate the action the new Minister, Jamie Hepburn, has taken to move this important subject forward.
“It’s a great opportunity to help make the public safer. By introducing Protection of Title for electricians we would remove a large number of unqualified and often dangerous practitioners from the industry.”
He added, “It is vital that as many people as possible take part in the survey to demonstrate that action must be taken.”
