Testing & Inspecting
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 safe and satisfactory condition for continued use. Such safety checks are commonly referred to as ‘periodic inspection and testing’. (This service is currently available in Kent only).
Duty holders have a legal responsibility to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees to matters within their control. This involves keeping electrical systems safe through correct design and installation and by using competent persons to carry out the work.
Periodic inspection and testing should be carried out only by electrically competent persons, such as registered electricians. The condition of the electrics is checked against the UK standard for the safety of electrical installations – BS 7671 IET Wiring Regulations, supporting statutory regulations such as the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
Our periodic inspection and testing of fixed electrical installations will support you in complying with these standards, including regulation 4 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, which requires that: ‘As may be necessary to prevent danger, all systems shall be maintained so as to prevent such danger.’ Where danger may exist, all systems should be constructed and maintained in a safe condition, and records of maintenance should be kept.
A periodic inspection will:
Reveal if any of your electrical circuits or equipment are overloaded
Find any potential electric shock risks and fire hazards
Identify any defective electrical work
Highlight any lack of earthing or bonding
Our highly skilled engineers will conduct a thorough visual inspection supported by a 100% test or an agreed percentage test of the installation (where practicable) dependant on the option agreed and taking into account previous maintenance records and environment, examining:
Safety
Wear and tear
Corrosion
Damage
Overloading
Age
External influences
Suitability
The inspections are vital for the protection against electric shock, electric burns, fires from electrical origin and electrical arcing or explosions initiated or caused by electricity.
What Our Clients Say
Inspection
We will thoroughly conduct a visual inspection of your fixed electrical installation, including an internal inspection of a sample of isolating devices, including:
Joints and Connections
Conductors (Including Protective Conductors)
Flexible Cables and Cords
Accessories and Switching Devices
Basic Protection
Fault Protection
Protective Devices
Enclosures and Mechanical Protection
Marking and Labelling
Testing
Testing of fixed equipment installation includes:
Continuity of Protective Conductors
Insulation resistance testing
Polarity Testing
Earth loop impedance
Functional tests
Initial final circuit tracing and identification can be provided if required
Final circuit labelling can be provided if required
Reporting
At the end of the inspection, you will receive an Electrical Installation Condition Report detailing any observed damage, deterioration, defects, dangerous conditions and any non-compliances with the present-day safety standard that might give rise to danger. This is prioritised as follows:
C1. Danger Present – The safety of those using the installation is at risk.
C2. Potentially Dangerous – The safety of those using the installation may be at risk.
C3. Improvement recommended.
If anything dangerous or potentially dangerous is found, the overall condition of the electrical installation will be declared to be ‘unsatisfactory’, meaning that remedial action is required without delay to remove the risks to those in the premises. Reported defects that receive a C1 classification will be notified to the duty holder, will need to be signed for by the client and must be resolved immediately.
Detailed inspection and testing however thorough, may not ensure the ongoing safety of an electrical installation, which might suffer degradation and damage on a daily basis. Inspection & testing consideration is therefore advised specific to the environment, nature of usage and location. With this in mind, we will then recommend a 3 year or 5-year maintenance regime as per Guidance Note 3. It is then down to the duty holder to agree the level of maintenance required.
Fixed Electrical Installation Inspection and Testing is suitable for:
Manufacturing sites
Hospitals
Universities/Colleges
Offices
Industrial units
Domestic premises
What Our Clients Say
Call us today on 07970 120273 to keep safe - & legal!
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