What is a Periodic Inspection?
All electrical installations deteriorate with age and use. They should therefore be inspected and tested at regular intervals to check whether they are in a satisfactory condition for continued use. Such safety checks are commonly referred to as periodic inspection and testing, otherwise known as EICR.
What is an EICR?
An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is an inspection of the condition of an existing electrical installation in a domestic or commercial property and it tells you if there are any deficiencies against the national safety standard for electrical installations. During an EICR assessment, tests are also carried out on any wiring and associated fixed electrical equipment to check it is safe.
Freqently Asked Questions
An EICR is a formal document that is produced following an inspection of the electrical installation and it is carried out by one of our approved, qualified and experienced electricians.
An EICR identifies any potential risks to health & safety and will assess the condition of your electrical systems and evaluate how efficiently they are working, paying particular attention to any deterioration or defects, any issue with circuits or equipment that might overload or overheat the system. The assessment and tests are completed by one of our qualified electricians to make sure your electrical installation is working safely and correctly and to the standards of the National Safety Standard identifying any electrical circuits or equipment that are unsafe to use.
An EICR Report will list any electrical work that is needed and includes any electrical standards which have not been adhered to. It is vitally important that as a business owner or someone who is responsible for a business that you can demonstrate you have had an EICR report completed and taken action against any of the issues identified.
An EICR Report should be carried out every 5 years, however, higher risk environments will require 3 yearly or even more frequent testing. It should be noted that all stated periods are maximum intervals.
The EICR legal requirements in England and Wales are not legally required, however, they demonstrate that you are adhering to The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 which is the statutory legislation in place to regulate that employers ensure the safety of electrical devices and systems in the workplace.
A lot of insurers now are insisting that inspection and testing be carried out on a regular basis. If you suffer an avoidable accident and you are found guilty then by law you will have committed a criminal offence and insurers will not pay fines or compensation suffered as a result of a criminal offence.
Our electricians have experience of working in the constraints of 24-hour operations and most of their testing will normally include live tests which can be scheduled around specific working and production processes, for example; shift changes, weekends, holidays, process changes, and cleaning or maintenance breaks. Your electrical system can normally be switched off in stages to ensure you are never completely without lighting and power.
It is usually dependent on the terms of your lease if you or your landlord are responsible for paying for electrical testing to be carried out. If you are going to rent a property then this is always something that should be agreed and included in the tenancy document beforehand. If you are on a full repairing lease then the cost will fall to you. Always remember that you are responsible to make sure that you and your staff comply with Health & Safety legislation and The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
About Total Electrical Engineering and Our Electrical Services
When you choose TEE as your Commercial Electricians we offer:
- The highest standards of quality.
- A reliable and professional service.
- Fully qualified, experienced and local commercial electricians.
- Trustworthy and reliable support staff.
- Competitive pricing.
- The highest standards of professionalism, workmanship and customer satisfaction.
- We provide emergency callout support 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.