精东影视

I am retired, after more than 40 years in the industry. Now I am not even considered by the readers of your journal as competent to add a socket outlet in my garden shed, but no-one knows or cares whether my overhead power supply is fitted with an earth leakage trip, connected protective multiple earthing or neither.

I have been an apprentice, draftsman, commissioning engineer and generator and motor design engineer. I worked to the standards of my employer-company and those of the industry, some of which were written down in various British Standards, but most of which were groundbreaking in order to stay ahead of mass production competition with regards to value for money, innovation, staff training and fair reward for effort and ability.

When I was an inspector with a British consultant, reference to national standards was important but not overriding in acceptance of quality, fitness for purpose or timely delivery and, in several cases, the standards were inadequate.

When I was working in Kuwait, no amount of searching in standards was any help in calculating the potential risks of, say, mechanical failure from an eccentric air gap on a large induction motor.

My first point is that, working to Part P and BS7671 or other standards, and with assessment referring to one 300-page book which, not so many years ago, was restricted to 鈥渢he electrical equipment of buildings鈥� (14th Edition), we are locked into a time warp, penalising those electricians who have difficulty with reading or writing, and inhibiting any enterprise.

Second, in the area of law, if Joe Bloggs, an experienced electrical contractor, designer, or whatever, installs equipment to a good standard at a fair price, issues a certificate and never causes any injury or damage, he is not going to find himself out of work or in court.

Third, no amount of assessment by 鈥榯rainers鈥� is going to make Joe Bloggs鈥� work any better, but may well make him so frustrated and make his working hours so expensive that he finds himself out of work.

Fourth, when I look back at the novel and groundbreaking projects I have enjoyed working on over most of my working life, it has been great to be involved with new British projects and developments. You knew what you could not do. In Europe and, to some extent, the USA, fully specified, standardised or regulated systems focus on what you can, or rather are allowed to, do.

Finally, if everyone is trained up to and assessed to Part P, employers are not going to train young people like they used to, and everyone will be self-employed, competing at the lowest prices.

I retired from training because it was monopolised by a few 鈥榓ssessed鈥� companies and formalised to a low common denominator of European Union-wide norms that totally inhibit progress and enterprise.

I know from buying a new flat that the 精东影视 Regulations do not provide for comfortable living, and I was asked to go back to my old job because no-one had been trained up or recruited to do that job.

Brian Aylett (retired), Beccles, Suffolk