It seems a war of words may be brewing between several electrical bodies over the new Electrical Safety Register.

As a joint effort to bring together information about electrical contractors, the Electrical Contractors Association and Electrical Safety Council recently launched the new register.  This process has been criticised by NAPIT, who think the launch of the register is a direct attempt to undermine their own effort, Electrisafe.

The two new schemes launched just a few days apart from each other and are extremely similar. NAPIT’s Electrisafe accepts applicants from more regulatory bodies than the Electrical Safety Register currently.

NAPIT Chief Operating Officer, Martin Bruno, commenting on this fiasco, said: “ElectricSafe had been through a long process of development that was closely informed by political debate and consultations involving other scheme providers, industry bodies and electrical contractors.

“It has been designed to create a single, industry wide, consumer-facing brand and register. It is free to join and open to all electricians who have been registered as competent – under any scheme provider.

“The launch of the Electrical Safety Register shortly after – a register which is closed to 6 of the 8 UK Competent Person Registers – has distorted this concept in a clear attempt to monopolise the representation of the UK electrical industry.

“It is very disappointing that, having been initially supportive the concept of a united register, the NICEIC and ECA have decided to act alone. It is also frustrating to see that they have chosen to rule out cooperation with the other 6 organisations which represent the industry.

“ElectricSafe should be seen in the context of a general consensus – developed at the first Electrical Safety Roundtable debate, held back in June – which recognised the need for concerted promotion of competent electricians to the public under a single, easily recognisable brand. The ‘Electrical Safety Register’ has completely disregarded that spirit of cooperation and this can only serve to damage consumer recognition of Competent Persons.”