Part A — Structure
Scope: Structural integrity of the building.
Why it matters to an electrician: Notching and drilling limits in joists when running cables — depth, position and zone rules to avoid weakening timbers.
Read on GOV.UKRegulations reference
Government Approved Documents for electrical work
UK electricians work to a stack of documents: the Building Regulations Approved Documents (statutory guidance issued by government), the underlying statutory regulations, and BS 7671 — the British Standard adopted as the practical code of practice. This page summarises the ones most relevant to domestic and small-commercial installation work, with direct links to the official sources.
Approved Documents apply in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own equivalents — see the devolved-nations section at the bottom.
Approved Documents (England)
Issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (now MHCLG) under the Building Regulations 2010. Each links to the current edition on GOV.UK.
Part B — Fire Safety
Scope: Fire spread, means of escape, alarm systems.
Why it matters to an electrician: Fire-rated penetrations around cables, downlighter fire hoods, escape lighting, smoke/heat alarm interlink (BS 5839-6), fire-resistant cable in escape routes, EV charger siting.
Read on GOV.UKPart C — Site preparation & resistance to contaminants and moisture
Scope: Damp-proofing, radon, ground gas.
Why it matters to an electrician: Cable entry sealing at DPC level, sealing service penetrations, radon barriers where present.
Read on GOV.UKPart E — Resistance to sound
Scope: Sound insulation between dwellings.
Why it matters to an electrician: Acoustic sealing around back boxes, avoiding back-to-back sockets on party walls, sealing cable penetrations to preserve sound reduction.
Read on GOV.UKPart F — Ventilation
Scope: Whole-dwelling and local extract ventilation.
Why it matters to an electrician: Extract fan rates for kitchens, bathrooms, utility and WCs. Continuous vs intermittent extract, MEV/MVHR wiring and controls.
Read on GOV.UKPart K — Protection from falling, collision & impact
Scope: Guarding, glazing, doors.
Why it matters to an electrician: Placement of accessories where impact/collision is a risk; interaction with automatic doors and gates.
Read on GOV.UKPart L — Conservation of fuel and power
Scope: Energy efficiency of buildings and services.
Why it matters to an electrician: Lamp efficacy (lumens per circuit-watt), lighting controls, heating and hot-water controls, EV-ready provisions in new builds and major renovations.
Read on GOV.UKPart M — Access to and use of buildings
Scope: Accessible design.
Why it matters to an electrician: Socket and switch mounting heights (typically 450–1200 mm) in new dwellings, accessible controls.
Read on GOV.UKPart P — Electrical safety — dwellings
Scope: Reasonable provision to protect people from fire or injury.
Why it matters to an electrician: Defines notifiable work in England (new circuits, consumer unit change, work in special locations). Compliance via a Competent Person Scheme such as NAPIT.
Read on GOV.UKPart Q — Security — dwellings
Scope: Resistance to unauthorised access in new dwellings.
Why it matters to an electrician: Access-control wiring, entry systems and intercoms in new build.
Read on GOV.UKPart R — Physical infrastructure for high-speed electronic communications networks
Scope: In-building network infrastructure.
Why it matters to an electrician: Ducting, cable routes and access points for gigabit-capable connectivity in new dwellings and major refurbishments.
Read on GOV.UKPart S — Infrastructure for the charging of electric vehicles
Scope: EV charge points in new residential and non-residential buildings.
Why it matters to an electrician: Mandatory EV charge point provision in new dwellings and major renovations with associated parking; cable routes for future charge points.
Read on GOV.UKStatutory regulations & the wiring standard
These are the underlying statutes and the British Standard the Approved Documents reference.
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (EAWR)
Statutory duty on employers, employees and the self-employed to ensure electrical systems are constructed, maintained and worked on safely — underpins safe isolation and competence requirements.
Official sourceElectrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016
Places duties on manufacturers, importers and distributors to ensure electrical equipment placed on the UK market is safe.
Official sourceElectricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (ESQCR)
Governs the DNO / supply side up to and including the cut-out and meter tails, plus earthing arrangements (TN-C-S, TN-S, TT).
Official sourceHealth and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
The overarching workplace safety statute — general duties of employers, employees and the self-employed.
Official sourceElectrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020
Requires landlords in England to have installations inspected and tested at least every 5 years by a qualified and competent person, and provide an EICR to tenants and (on request) the local authority.
Official sourceBS 7671:2018+A4:2026 — Requirements for Electrical Installations (IET Wiring Regulations)
Not a statutory instrument but the British Standard universally adopted as the practical code of practice for electrical installation in the UK. Referenced throughout the Approved Documents.
Official sourceHSE GS38 — Electrical test equipment for use on low-voltage electrical systems
HSE guidance on the safe selection and use of test probes, leads, clips and voltage indicators. Sets the practical requirements electricians follow for safe isolation: finger barriers, ≤4 mm exposed tip (2 mm preferred), shrouded probes, fused leads and a proven voltage indicator (proved on a known live source or proving unit before and after the dead test). Cited alongside EAWR 1989 as the benchmark for safe isolation. See the dedicated GS38 download panel below.
Official source HSE GuidanceLatest: Fourth edition · Published 2015 · Current321 KB · PDF
GS38 — Electrical test equipment for use on low-voltage electrical systems
The full HSE guidance note. Covers voltage detectors, test probes and leads, finger barriers, exposed-tip length limits (≤4 mm, 2 mm preferred), shrouded probes, in-line fusing and the proving procedure electricians follow during safe isolation.
Mirrored here for offline access. Always cross-check the HSE page above for the current edition — if a fifth edition is issued, this download will be refreshed.
Field checklist
GS38 requirements checklist
Skim-friendly summary of the GS38 (Fourth edition, 2015) requirements for electricians and inspectors. Use during safe isolation, EICRs and periodic testing. This is a working aid — always refer to the full HSE PDF above for the authoritative wording.
Test probes & leads
Physical construction of probes, clips and leads used on live equipment.
- Finger barriers or shrouded probes prevent accidental contact with live parts.
- Exposed probe tip no longer than 4 mm — 2 mm or less recommended where practicable.
- Probes insulated except for the tip; suitable retractable-tip probes acceptable.
- Leads coloured for easy identification (e.g. one red, one black).
- Leads flexible, adequately insulated, and free from cuts, cracks or joins.
- Leads long enough for the job without straining terminations.
- Cross-section sufficient for prospective current and mechanically robust.
- Fused leads or a current-limiting resistor fitted where required by the instrument.
- Fuses to BS 88 / HBC low-current type (typically ≤ 500 mA) housed within the probe or lead.
Voltage indicators & detectors
Two-pole voltage indicators used for proving dead during safe isolation.
- Purpose-built two-pole voltage detector — not a multimeter or a neon screwdriver.
- Clear indication of voltage present at LV (50–500 V a.c.) including 230 V and 400 V bands.
- Indication by lamps, LEDs or a solid-state display — audible indication is a useful extra.
- Self-contained — does not rely on the circuit under test for its power (or has an internal battery-check).
- Internal impedance limits current to a safe value on a healthy circuit.
- Protected against the highest voltage that could reasonably be encountered.
- Compliant with GS38 and, where applicable, BS EN 61243-3.
Proving unit & procedure
Prove-dead sequence — the ‘prove, test, prove’ method.
- Dedicated proving unit (e.g. Martindale PD440 or equivalent) available.
- Prove the voltage indicator on a known live source or proving unit BEFORE test.
- Test between L-N, L-E and N-E at the point of work to confirm dead.
- Prove the voltage indicator again AFTER test to confirm it did not fail during use.
- Lock-off device and unique padlock/key retained by the person working on the circuit.
- Caution notice applied at the point of isolation.
Instrument condition & competence
Pre-use checks and user competence.
- Case, display and switches undamaged; no ingress of moisture or debris.
- Battery healthy and within calibration interval where applicable.
- Correct category rating for the environment (CAT III 500 V minimum for LV distribution; CAT IV for origin/service head).
- User trained, competent, and aware of prospective fault current at the test point.
- Appropriate PPE worn (insulated gloves, arc-rated clothing where the risk assessment requires).
Do not use / red flags
- Neon screwdrivers or ‘test lamps’ made from a bulb and two leads.
- Using a multimeter set to voltage as the sole means of proving dead.
- Probes with more than 4 mm of exposed metal at the tip.
- Home-made or repaired leads, taped joints, or missing shrouds.
- Skipping the ‘prove after’ step of the prove–test–prove sequence.
- Working on the assumption a circuit is dead because a breaker is off.
Reference: HSE Guidance Note GS38 (Fourth edition), published 2015. Read alongside the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and BS 7671:2018+A4:2026.
Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland
The technical requirements are broadly similar, but the documents and enforcement routes differ.
Scotland
Scottish Building Standards — Technical Handbooks (Domestic and Non-Domestic), Section 4 covers safety including electrical. Enforced under the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004.
Official sourceWales
Approved Documents apply as in England, but issued by the Welsh Government with Welsh-specific amendments (particularly Parts L and F).
Official sourceNorthern Ireland
Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 with separate Technical Booklets. Part E covers electrical services.
Official sourcePaul at All Cabling© works to all of the above as a NAPIT-registered Competent Person — notifiable jobs in England are self-certified with Building Control at no extra cost to you.