KEY ISSUE
RAISING STANDARDS
In October, the Joint Industry Board launched the new ECS Registered
Electrician status. Steve Brawley, JIB chief executive, explains the reasons
behind the introduction of the scheme, and the benefits it will offer the industry.
T
he JIB has introduced
a new ‘Registered
Electrician’ status – via
the ECS card scheme
– to recognise those
electricians who are both
qualified to NVQ Level
3 and are also working
to the latest British Standard in terms of
electrical installation.
Any ECS installation or maintenance
electrician gold cardholders who are
qualified in the current edition of the
BS7671 Wiring Regulations can now
apply for the new ECS Registered
Electrician status.
For a cardholder, becoming a
Registered Electrician means they can
get a well-deserved endorsement for
their professionalism and skills, stand out
amongst their peers and get a valuable
boost to their status and credibility across
the industry.
For electrical contractors, it’s an
opportunity to demonstrate to clients
that their electrical workforce is up-to-
date on the latest industry technology
developments and are committed to
maintaining this level of professionalism.
With the introduction of the new
ECS Check service for clients and main
contractors, this new initiative also
raises the profile of electrical contracting
amongst the wider construction industry
and procurement community.
Why is the JIB doing this?
For many years there has been criticism
that the ECS card is an ‘evergreen’
card, since an electrician can apply to
the scheme then simply renew their
card every three years by paying the
fee and passing the health and safety
assessment – without any need or
obligation to demonstrate they are
keeping up-to-date with changes to
the Wiring Regulations, Continuing
Professional Development or other
industry standards.
By introducing the Registered
Electrician status, the JIB’s aim is to
raise the professionalism of individual
electricians, electrical contractors and
the industry as a whole. It enhances the
quality of work by encouraging every ECS
electrician to qualify to the current Wiring
Regulations. It’s also complementary
to existing Approved Contractor and
Competent Person Schemes, which
certify the companies that undertake
electrical installations.
28 | November2017
Already around 33,000 electricians –
around 55% of the ECS gold cardholder
population – are automatically eligible for
Registered Electrician status.
Boosting status with clients
and main contractors
“ECS Check is
a new online
system that
allows main
contractors
and clients
to verify the
skills and
qualifications
of electrical
personnel
working on
projects.”
With the introduction of Registered
Electrician, we have also developed a
means by which electrical contractors
can demonstrate the qualifications of
their workforce when bidding for projects.
With any electrical installation, the
quality of the final product depends
on not just the electrical contractor’s
company registration but, crucially, the
person carrying out the work.
ECS Check is a new online system
that allows main contractors and clients
to verify the skills and qualifications of
electrical personnel working on projects.
The ECS already verifies applicants’
qualifications in order to issue them
with an ECS card – and has done so for
over 45 years. There are around 65,000
electricians working at ECS Gold Card
level to show they meet the industry-
recognised standard. ECS Check
provides a convenient way for employers
to profile the qualifications held by their
workforce and the ECS cards they hold.
Clients, main contractors and
project managers can use ECS Check’s
online portal to validate the electrical
workforce on site and produce electronic
summaries for auditing and reporting.
Those working at ECS Registered
Electrician level can also demonstrate
they hold the latest edition of BS7671
(IET Wiring Regulations) and have
committed to maintain their technical
knowledge and qualifications.
Registered Electrician criteria
For those who wish to become an
ECS Registered Electrician, there are
three key criteria that must be met.
First, the applicant must meet the core
requirements for the ECS installation or
maintenance electrician; second, they
must hold the current edition of the Wiring
Regulations; and finally they must agree
to a Code of Professional Practice, which
includes a commitment to Continuing
Professional Development.
This is a voluntary scheme – no
cardholder is obliged to become a
Registered Electrician. If an electrician
does not wish to apply for Registered
Electrician status, they can still remain
in the ECS as a standard installation or
maintenance electrician gold cardholder.
For existing installation or maintenance
electrician cardholders, there is no
additional cost involved in becoming a
Registered Electrician. A new ‘virtual card’
showing their Registered status will be
offered to all current cardholders. This will
be downloadable to a smart phone at no
extra cost. As an option, the applicant can
order a Registered Electrician card at a
discounted price if they would like one.
If you employ gold card electricians
that have also kept up-to-date with the
Wiring Regulations, they should be proud
of the time and effort put into their skills
and professionalism so far. With the launch
of the ECS Registered Electrician it gives
cardholders the status they deserve,
improving not only their credibility but
also their company’s reputation with main
contractors and clients.
For further information, visit
www.registeredelectrician.uk
Joint Industry Board, www.jib.org.uk
This is a voluntary
scheme, and
members can
remain in the ECS as
standard installation
or maintenance
electrician gold
cardholders