minimum qualifications required for mains powered equipment assembly

[grumpydoc]

Approved Document P is not the regulations, and it is not Part P

To quote HM Gov on the planning website "This section covers the technical guidance contained in Part P (Approved Document P) of schedule 1 of the Building Regulations."

Which I certainly read as "Part P" is the same document as "Approved Document P", at least that's what I've always understood.

I linked the wrong version though - the 2013 version is at http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_AD_P_2013.pdf

[Monkeh]

Approved Document P is not the regulations, and it is not Part P

To quote HM Gov on the planning website "This section covers the technical guidance contained in Part P (Approved Document P) of schedule 1 of the Building Regulations."

Which I certainly read as "Part P" is the same document as "Approved Document P", at least that's what I've always understood.

I linked the wrong version though - the 2013 version is at http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_AD_P_2013.pdf

Part P is Part P of the Building Regulations. Which is very short.

Still, Approved Document P marks out how to perform any scale of electrical work you wish on your property.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Part P was conceived on two completely false premises - firstly that faulty fixed electrical installations were a major cause of injury - in fact the figures used included portable equipment, which represented teh vast majority of cases.
Secondly, some idiot though that a domestic installation could be tested by just plugging something into the wall.
A major intention was actually to stamp out tax-evading cowboys and "protect" the interests of the industry, who were all too happy to use scare tactics to get their way.
A major problem is that though the requirement is that electrical work be done by "competent" people, the word "competent" has been redefined as "Belonging to an approved  trade body".

I can legally do work on my own gas installation, but not many types of electrical stuff, at least not without doing the same Buidling regs paperwork as for major building works.

Of course most people treat this garbage with the respect it deserves and completely ignore it. Even the big DIY stores have long since stopped putting notices about it in the electrical parts sections. 

[Monkeh]

Secondly, some idiot though that a domestic installation could be tested by just plugging something into the wall.

A great deal of the testing is little more complicated than that. The equally necessary inspection component, of course..

A major problem is that though the requirement is that electrical work be done by "competent" people, the word "competent" has been redefined as "Belonging to an approved  trade body".

There's no requirement in the building regulations for electrical work to be performed by a competent person (and, in fact, the wording in the document is 'registered competent person'). iirc there's a lot of 'competent person' spread around BS7671, but I don't believe it's defined.

I can legally do work on my own gas installation, but not many types of electrical stuff, at least not without doing the same Buidling regs paperwork as for major building works.

There does need to be a much lower price band  for electrical work to be notified. My council will charge at least £150 if I want to go that route. However, so long as a new circuit is not installed and the work is not within a special location, you do not need to notify for works.

[grumpydoc]

Part P is Part P of the Building Regulations. Which is very short.

OK, yes, now that I look at it all you are correct - apologies. Interesting.

Of course the regulations, like many bits of legislation are not all that useful because the stipulate that "Reasonable provision" must be made without defining what "Reasonable provisions" actually are - which is where, AFAICS, Document P comes in.

Also, although Document P might not be part of the regulations there are bits which are (or appear to be) - eg Regulation 12(6)(b) which is the list of work that you can carry out without giving Building Notice.