Qualified Supervisors

NICEIC and ELECSA have hit back at misleading claims about the new technical requirements for Qualified Supervisors, and are reassuring contractors’ fears about the qualifications necessary to be eligible for registration.

As of 6th April this year the technical competence requirements, as set out by the Electrotechnical Assessment Specification Management Committee (EAS), changed for proposed Qualified Supervisors.

A new ‘Level 3’ requirement was developed and introduced for anyone wanting to apply to become a Qualified Supervisor after 5th April. Prior to its implementation a spate of articles appeared in the media urging contractors to apply before the deadline so they could ‘side-step’ the new requirements.

However, following the apparent confusion this has caused, NICEIC and ELECSA have moved to allay any concerns contractors might have, citing the various routes through to qualification. “In the run-up to April both NICEIC and ELECSA noticed a sharp rise in applications for its schemes as contractors sought to ‘beat the new requirements’ - largely due to stories circulating in the media saying the new requirements would make it harder to become a Qualified Supervisor,” commented Alan Wells, certification and standards director at NICEIC.

“We want to let contractors know that this is definitely not the case. The new qualification was designed to produce safer working practices within the industry and those with the relevant experience and technical competence really have nothing to fear.”

There are now five different routes for domestic installer schemes through to satisfying the requirements for registration as a Qualified Supervisor, including on-site assessment, off-site assessment, a mixture of both and the gaining of appropriate qualifications. To help contractors understand the new requirements NICEIC and ELECSA have produced some information sheets for anyone wishing to join NICEIC or ELECSA’s Domestic Installer Scheme or NICEIC’s Approved Contractor schemes (links below). “The routes allow flexibility for individuals who hold older qualifications or have been a Qualified Supervisor within the past two years to be assessed, as well as allowing a route for individuals who can provide auditable evidence of their knowledge and experience of undertaking electrical work,” Wells concluded

from: http://www.connectingindustry.com/ElectricalEngineering/dispelling-myths.aspx#sthash.AeUJ7lui.dpuf