Trades body tells Falkirk firms '˜these fake documents could kill'

Falkirk companies are being warned to beware of bogus copies of crucial wiring regulations that could lead to unsafe work and risk fire, electric shock and even death.
SELECT's head of technical services, Dave Forrester, says consumers are being placed in jeopardy.SELECT's head of technical services, Dave Forrester, says consumers are being placed in jeopardy.
SELECT's head of technical services, Dave Forrester, says consumers are being placed in jeopardy.

The stark message comes from industry body SELECT, Scotland’s electrical trades association, which says fake pdf copies of BS7671:2018, the IET (Insitution of Engineering and Technology) Wiring Regulations are being offered for sale.

The organisation says the potentially lethal fraud reinforces the message that SELECT has been promoting in the Scottish Parliament in its union-backed campaign for recognition of electricians as a profession.

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SELECT’s case was pressed in a recent Holyrood debate in which evidence was presented of unqualified and under-qualified people who masquerade as electricians endangering public safety by carrying out work across Scotland.

Dave Forrester, Head of Technical Services at SELECT, said: “Only a short time after the issue of safety was debated in the Scottish Parliament, we have now uncovered bogus British Standards and other manuals being offered online to companies which will put consumers in further jeopardy”.

Mark Coles, Head of Technical Regulations at the IET, said the fake PDFs, which were being distributed through a variety of channels, looked “convincing” on the first inspection.

However, they are sprinkled with errors and corrupted information.

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The IET is now taking action to combat the counterfeiters by inserting a hologram in its Regulations, commonly known as the 18th Edition, to help users identify genuine copies.

It contains the IET logo and the word “Genuine”.

Mr Coles said: “Ensuring that genuine copies of IET publications are being used by electrical professionals is important in order that correct standards are used to protect the public and those working in the industry from injury and fatality.”

SELECT’s 1,250 member companies account for around 90 per cent of all electrical installation work carried out in Scotland.

These have a collective turnover of around £1 billion and provide employment for 15,000 people.