Wiring regs

[phil d]

Recently I bought a full set of Stubbs Electrical Encyclopaedia, from the late 1940's, I was reading it last night and I came across something that some of you may find interesting, apparently, when the book was written, we were on the 11th edition, amdt2 and it could be bought direct from the IEE for the princely sum of 1S and 9d, anyone know what this works out at in today's money? I'm just wondering if the old sparkies back then complained as bitterly as we do about the cost of new books, incidentally there was no mention of an OSG, or any of the other stuff we have now, then again, from what I'm reading there were not as many regs, so you have to wonder how thick the book was? One thing is for certain, I bet it didn't contain all the mistakes they do today. lol

 

[Tony S]

Come on Phil, even you could stump up the massive amount of £9-1/6d in today's tin plated brass.*

* BoE rates.

 

[Sidewinder]

Not sure if I have a physical copy, but I do have a scan of one!

 

[Evans Electric]

of 1S and 9d, anyone know what this works out at in today's money?

About 16p    but only on Decimal Day  .  Don't know how work in the inflation factor .   ( Probably about £500)

I'm just wondering if the old sparkies back then complained as bitterly as we do about the cost of new books, incidentally there was no mention of an OSG, or any of the other stuff we have now, then again, from what I'm reading there were not as

I don't remember that many employed sparks actually ever bought the Regs   .  I bought  the "Guide to the 13th edition"    and being employed then I never bought another until we set out on our own & had a 15th ed. in the office  , then the 16th .  

As employees  we only bought the "Guides " .

In fact once you finished college you were out of the loop regarding the Regs  .   We were mostly working to drawings & specifications from Consulting Engineers  TBH  . 

The OSG  didn't exist until Part P  I think .  

 

[Andy™]

probably no guides because the older regs were a lot clearer with no ambuigity

 

[phil d]

When I bought a new test meter last year there was a ticket in the box, apparently, I was entitled to a free copy of the wiring regs as I had bought a new meter. I spoke to a representative of the makers ( Megger) at Elex and they declined to honour this offer! Mind you I can't complain really, although the meter was BNIB, it was manufactured around 1940. lol 

 

[Evans Electric]

Andy  , thinking back , I don't remember any obligation for an employed sparks to have the actual Regs  book .    Never even saw them for sale  TBH. 

A different  thing when we became  SE  , and the requirement to do the course for the 16th .

In the '70s our boss was asked for some extra sparks on loan to one of the big local contractors  ,  working at Cadburys .    Myself & apprentice went .    I noticed two things while  there .

Quite a few older apprentices , 19 - 21 yrs  brilliant at installing  miles of  3 compartment trunking  ,  leave you standing when doing a double set ...but knew little else. 

The other thing was  the sparks there were the most unfriendly bunch of bastards  I ever met .   

 

[phil d]

Andy  , thinking back , I don't remember any obligation for an employed sparks to have the actual Regs  book .    Never even saw them for sale  TBH. 

A different  thing when we became  SE  , and the requirement to do the course for the 16th .

In the '70s our boss was asked for some extra sparks on loan to one of the big local contractors  ,  working at Cadburys .    Myself & apprentice went .    I noticed two things while  there .

Quite a few older apprentices , 19 - 21 yrs  brilliant at installing  miles of  3 compartment trunking  ,  leave you standing when doing a double set ...but knew little else. 

The other thing was  the sparks there were the most unfriendly bunch of bastards  I ever met .   

The thing with subbying to a firm and working with their sparks is usually they are terrified of you, they become so used to taking forever to do a job that they panic when an outsider comes in. They don't fancy theirbosses asking why it took you a day on your own to do a job that takes 3 of them 2 days.

We had a new combi boiler fitted by the housing people, 2 men 5 days! When the man came to inspect the work I asked him why it had taken so long, he said that was the normal length of time to do the job, and did I think I could do any better? His face was a picture when I told him that I knew I could do better, I've fitted a few boilers in the past, it used to take me a day, in fact it only took 3 days for me to put a full heating system in!

 

[Evans Electric]

The thing with subbying to a firm and working with their sparks is usually they are terrified of you, they become so used to taking forever to do a job that they panic when an outsider comes in. They don't fancy theirbosses asking why it took you a day on your own to do a job that takes 3 of them 2 days.

Naw  !  I think they were just a bunch of unfriendly bastards TBH .       Later on when we'd started on our own  I hoped one of them might turn up for a job with us  but it was never to be.  

 

[Risteard]

On-Site Guide existed for the 16th Edition and had nothing to do with Part P, and indeed pre-dated it by many years. 

 

[Sidewinder]

On-Site Guide existed for the 16th Edition and had nothing to do with Part P, and indeed pre-dated it by many years. 

That's about right Risteard, the first record I could find for the OSG is 1992, which was the first edition of BS 7671, i.e. when the IEE 16th Edition became double titled as BS 7671.

Apparently, according to my records I have a copy somewhere!

As well as a copy of the regs of that vintage, GN's 2, 3 4 & 6.

If anyone has a GN 1 or 5 from 1992, please get in touch I would be interested in them!

 

[kerching]

I may possibly be able to assist you there!

I will have a look tomorrow as they are not 'local'

 

[phil d]

Somewhere, I have an OSG from pre 92, it has a red cover, I know it's before then because I remember buying one in the late 80's and somebody 'borrowing' it and not bringing it back, so I 'borrowed' one from work! I'll have to find it and see what date is on it, I know I have that one, plus a green one from some years later, and a yellow one which was from the 17th editon.

 

[Sidewinder]

According to the IET in the latest OSG, it was first published in 1992.

 

[Evans Electric]

I stand corrected then .  I never saw an OSG  until I registered for the Part Pee carp , where its a requirement .  However I stopped purchasing them  as paying for amendment 500+  of the Regs is quite enough  thank you .  

The nearest thing I ever had to an OSG  was the proverbial  BICC   ..."Electrician's Mate"    .