Hello From Across The Pond

[Tuufulhundin]

Hi everyone,

I am an experienced electrician (16 years) currently working at a gold mine in Nevada, USA.  My family and I need to move to the UK to take care of my wife's mother due to illness.  I have read up on the electrotechnical certification scheme for people with electrical experience out of country.  My question is this, is this the best way to qualify to do electrical work in the UK for a person in my situation or is there a better way to go about it?

Thanks for your advice.

Kris Pettit

Las Vegas Nevada USA

 

[steptoe]

I'm not well up on it, someone that knows more could probably advise better, 

But, I'd think best bet is to get your quals assessed as UK equivalent by city and guilds and then simply do a 17th edition exam, it's an open book exam is is really dead easy if you can read and use an index.

Good luck,

I think your mad coming over here tbh, but I suppose family matters come first.

 

[apprentice87]

Hi Steps,

I agree with what you say, but could he not just do the 17th edition as his american quals would show competance from the point of view of actually physically installing stuff, he would just have to know how our systems work and what is required here..

Hi Kris,

Our "domestic" stuff is a LOT, make that COMPLETELY different from what you are used to........ but i am sure you could just read up on it and get your head round it all!! As for "industrial" installations, no idea!!!

On the whole though, from what i have read about what you have over there, i would think ours is somewhat more logical!!!

john..

 

[roys]

Have worked on some industrial American systems abroad and there is a lot of similarities, the biggest difference is they didn't use SWA cable, control stuff like PLC's, motor starters etc. all very similar .  Anyways good luck with the move and I hope it goes well with the mother in law.  

 

[apprentice87]

What they got instead of SWA????

john...

 

[roys]

They use a couple different types of cable systems instead of SWA, for a start a lot more steel conduit and a cable called Romax or something like that.

 

[apprentice87]

All strange stuff!!!!

john..

 

[roys]

A few years ago I was working with an American spark and I was showing him how to gland SWA cable, he was impressed with it and the ease with which it could be installed.

 

[Evans Electric]

Hi  Tuufulhundin    I'd think if you have US qualifications  they would transfer to the UK  .  There are differences in our systems & terminology you would have to get used to but electric is electric .

Ground is Earth etc  .........the HOT WIRE is called LIVE .     And just to confuse everybody  they keep changing stuff like the cable colours  & adding new Regs  every 10 minutes !!!  .     3 Phase   is 400volts  in the UK  ..... down to 230V  for single phase & domestic ..... 110V  is site safety voltage .

Not sure but I think you may have to do a update course , certainly ,as Apprentice & Stepps say , you may need to do a 17th edition  Regulations course . 

If you intend to work in the industrial & commercial fields I'd say you do need that  Electrotechnical card you mentioned .    That is a SKILLS card & would include a Health & Safety obligation which you will need to work on many sites . 

I'd suggest when you get here , Google  JIB   ( Joint Industrial Board for Electrical Contracting )  about the card   & see what  they have to say .

Hope it all goes well  and the main thing is ................   stay on this Forum , let us know how its going . 

Edit :    Nothing to stop you getting a job with an industrial Electrical contractor  ...on the understanding that you trained on the US system .... might have to take a pay cut at first , who knows  .     You could work at an existing factory with them , without all the card crap that is required for building sites .   

 

[binky]

think you would do well in industrial work, it's all that steel conduit you guys use. We don't use that in domestic unlike yourselves, which is a lot easier, but means you have skills in this area that UK sparks tend to lack. I have an American friend on Facebook, the amount and quality of his conduit runs is impressive especially i condumions (howver you spell that) we call them flats, but other than learning our regs, cables are cables, and electric kills all around the world :^O

 

[kerching]

I frequent a Yank forum...they have some weird ways!...some good, some bad, some just 'odd'

Just saying

 

[Tuufulhundin]

HI all,

Thanks for the info, the move is a few months off due to the red tape involved, but I will keep you posted.  BTW we do use a variety of armored cables and romex is a cable used in residential construction  that is is 3 or 4 conductor with ground (earth) that has a thin flexible PVC coating, much easier that conduit but very little protection from damage.

Have a good night all.

Kris

 

[Ciprian]

You can contact UK NARIC to see where you stand.

 

[SBS Dave]

Hi Tuuf,

No doubt you are therefore familiar with "anti-shorts". I assume they are still used.

For those who don't know, they were plastic inserts (usually red) which fitted in the end of the romex, to protect the cables from the sharp edge of the metal flex.

I used them for years in Canada, along with Robertson Screwdrivers. 

SBS Dave