§ 38. Miss Boothroydasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications are waiting approval by the British Approval Service for electrical equipment in flammable atmospheres; what is the waiting time between application and final certification as opposed to the waiting time between a priority application and certification; and what plans he has for speeding up the approval system.
§ Mr. MayhewI have been informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the number of applications which were waiting for approval by BASEEFA on 12 October 1979 was 760. Of the applications received so far this year about one quarter were completed within six months, and 30 per cent. had been cleared by 12 October. 54 per cent. of those received in 1978 and 77 per cent. of those received in 1977 had been cleared by 12 October 1979. There are delays in completing work on applications because of variations in the complexity of the126W for which disabled persons are unemployed.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 5 November 1979]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the figures requested, showing the numbers and percentages of unemployed registered disabled people by duration of unemployment compared to those for all unemployed persons, are given in the table attached. The information relates to 12 July 1979, the latest date for which figures for registered disabled people are available.
equipment concerned, the need for modifications in the light of examination and tests at BASEEFA, and differences in the kind of certification required.
No one has as yet submitted an application through the priority procedure. To speed up the approval system additional staff are being recruited and trained, and arrangements have been made for some help with the training to be provided by industry. I am also appointing a small group of industrialists to examine and make recommendations on the arrangements in BASEEFA and on ways industry can help in order to clear the backlog.
§ Miss Boothroydasked the Secretary of State for Employment, in view of the long delays in the workings of the British approval service for electrical equipment in flammable atmopsheres, what other test establishments are being used to provide certification for British products.
§ Mr. MayhewTesting work has been contracted by BASEEFA to the Electrical Research Association and to the Scientific Instrument Research Association, but 127W BASEEFA remains responsible for the issue of any certificate.
§ Miss Boothroydasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state all the qualifications required of certifying officers employed by the British approval service for electrical equipment in flammable atmospheres; how many specialist staff are employed at Buxton on the work of certifying hazardous area electrical equipment; and what additional staff are required to bring the service to full strength.
§ Mr. MayhewI am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the qualifications required at recruitment for the certifying officers employed at BASEEFA are as follows:
Assistant certification/testing officers—PTO III: Candidates must possess an ONC in electrical or electronic engineering or equivalent electrical/electronic base qualification acceptable to the Civil Service Commissioners. They must also have served a recognised apprenticeship or have had equivalent training. A total of eight years' relevant experience is required, which may include up to three years' relevant full-time study.
Certification/testing officers—PTO II: Candidates must have a degree in engineering, electrical or electronic engineering, have passed the council of engineering institution's part 2 examination in appropriate subjects or have an equivalent or higher qualification acceptable to the Civil Service Commissioners. They must also have had at least two years' relevant professional experience. In addition, they are required to have a good knowledge of drawing office, factory production and quality control methods and systems, and also to have the ability to express themselves—orally and in writing—in a clear and concise manner. Candidates with electrical engineering qualifications are also expected to have knowledge and experience of the requirements for the design, development and use of electrical equipment in flammable atmospheres. Candidates with electronic engineering qualifications are required to have recent practical engineering experience, preferably in the design and utilisation of instrumentation and process control equipment, and an up-to-date knowledge of electronic components. 128W Some knowledge of the requirements for the use of electronic/electrical equipment in potentially explosive atmospheres is also advantageous.
On 1 November 1979 there were 19 specialist staff employed at Buxton and three specialist staff based at Sheffield on the work of certifying hazardous area electrical equipment. This figure of 22 includes specialist staff drawn from other parts of the Health and Safety Executive who have been temporarily attached to BASEEFA to assist in the certification work. Ten additional staff are required to bring the certification service up to full strength.