Electrician

An electrician is a trades person who specialises in installing and maintaining the electrical systems in buildings and infrastructure. They may sometimes specialise in the installation of new electrical components, wiring systems, and other equipment, or they may focus on maintenance and upgrading equipment.

The primary concern of an electrician is to ensure that enough power is provided to enable systems to operate effectively, and in a way that is safe for occupants and users.

Electricians can be loosely categorised as:

• Residential: Installing and maintaining electrical systems in residential buildings.
• Inside: Installing and maintaining electrical systems inside larger buildings.
• Outside: Installing and maintaining external electrical systems such as telegraph poles, pylons, and so on.
• Telecommunications: Focusing on telecommunications systems.

Some of the general roles and responsibilities of an electrician might include:

• Reading drawings to determine where electrical components and systems are required.
• Planning the layout and installation of electrical components.
• Installing electrical components.
• Installing telecommunications, security and alarm systems, and so on.
• Installing and maintaining circuit breakers, fuses, transformers, and so on.
• Ensuring electrical work meets required standards and complies with regulations.
• Diagnosing, locating and rectifying faults.

In the UK, once trained to the required competency level, electricians can register with the Joint Industry Board (JIB) to obtain an Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) card.

Electricians must comply with the Electricity at Work Regulations which cover all electrical installations, and Part P of the Building Regulations, which governs electrical installations in dwellings.

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