Can You Prove Your Electrical Installation Is Safe?
If you are a Facilities Manager, designated Duty Holder or a Landlord you will have the legal responsibility for ensuring that your electrical installation is ‘Safe for Use’.
To help you achieve this we are able provide suitably qualified engineers to carry out a testing & inspection service to assess your premises’ s electrical installation and ensure that it is both safe for use and that you are compliant with current legislation.
What this test basically does to ascertain the condition of each and every circuit within a building’s Electrical Installation and in doing so identify any potential hazards associated with it such as the possibility of electrocution or fire.
For large installs with many circuits such as hotels and warehouses the testing can be spread over a five-year period with a fifth of the circuits being tested per year.
If you are unsure whether or not you require an EICR then please contact us for guidance.
Reasons for Testing
Over time all electrical installations will deteriorate. Reasons for this can include general wear and tear, environmental factors and there is even the potential for damage.
Testing is designed to identify hazards including…
- The overloading of electrical circuits.
- Heat damage.
- Low insulation that may result in short circuits.
- Inadequate or lack of earth bonding.
- Incorrectly rated circuit breakers giving insufficient protection to the end user.
- Ensuring that RCD’s trip out and isolate power to its respective circuit under the correct fault conditions.
All hazards identified during the testing are recorded in two test reports, an electronic copy of which are then emailed to the customer.
It is important to note that any C1 or C2 error codes identified in the test report must be corrected in order for your installation to be compliant with current Health & Safety legislation and therefore classed as ‘Satisfactory‘.
To achieve this, we would recommend that remedial work is carried out ASAP which we would be more than happy to arrange with you the customer.
FAQs
EICR stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report.
Historically this has been called a Periodic Test or Fixed Wire Test.
Issues with your electrical installation will typically be defined as…
C1 – ‘Urgent Danger Present’ they need to be acted upon ASAP.
C2 – ‘Potentially Dangerous’ and need to be acted upon but are not urgent.
C3 – General observations and in the vast majority of cases require no action.
Remedial Work is a term used to describe any work required to achieve a Passed/Satisfactory status. In the case of an issue listed as C1, they are determined to be urgent and should always be addressed ASAP.
That’s depends on the specific type of installation you have. For example, a commercial installation such as an office only needs testing less regularly than an industrial environment. Check out our blog where we go into into this in more detail.
A few words from our customers…
"…worked with Affinity Electricals team for over 6 years now. They complete all our fixed wiring tests, carry out new installations and trouble shoot and repair any problems as they arise. We have always found their service exceptional. Fast to respond in emergencies, very fairly priced, professional in their planning and invoicing and proactive in keeping our business safe and looking its best with new lighting, whilst their suggestions for new efficient lighting have really helped reduce our bills too. The Affinity staff are very personable to work with and we would recommend them to anyone."
Centre Manager Handsworth - Old Rectory Community Centre
Recently you undertool the 5-yearly EICR testing which is usually a real dread for us, as it is impossible to carry our without disturbance to the tenants here. For the first time ever, we have received no complaints whatsoever and are again delighted by Andrew’s work ethic and care for the needs of the customer.
General Manager - Aizlewood Business Centre
Get Your Electrical Installation Certified
Our team will keep it simple and give you peace of mind that your electrical installation remains safe with our ‘Insurance Friendly’ Electrical Installation Condition Reports.
Call us on 01143 627 123 or choose either the Commercial or Domestic contact form below and we’ll get the ball rolling for you.