Fixed Electrical Testing Essential Facts for Business Owners January 2017
Fixed Electrical Testing Employers must comply with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, made under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Fixed Electrical Testing covers the electrical services and wiring systems that take electricity around a building. It may also be referred to as Fixed Wire Testing, Hard Wire Testing and Electrical Installation Condition Reporting (EICR). Employers must comply with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, made under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, by doing everything reasonably practicable to ensure their employees and site visitors are not put at risk by faulty fixed wiring. The law does not specify a required testing interval but employers should be aware that if an incident occurs they will be required to prove that they have done everything possible to maintain their electrical systems in safe working order. Some insurance companies, mortgage lenders, landlords and public bodies will also require evidence that electrical inspection and testing has been carried out. By having your electrical systems tested by a UKAS or NICEIC accredited specialist you will receive an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) which will be valid for between 1-5 years and demonstrates that you have implemented measures to keep your business compliant. This guide is designed to help you introduce the right level of testing for your organisation to keep your electrical equipment and hard wiring functioning safely.
What you need to know about Fixed Wire Testing? Fixed Testing covers electrical systems such as lighting, socket outlets, air conditioning systems, distribution boards, fuses and circuit breakers, cables and cords and other hard wiring. The challenge for business owners is knowing what systems exist around the building, particularly when moving into premises or acquiring additional sites where diagrams and wiring charts are not available. In these situations a wiring survey may be needed to chart the switchgear, controlgear and circuits before setting up a schedule for inspection and testing. Fixed Testing is a term that covers everything from a simple visual inspection to a thorough survey and report. The interval between more thorough reporting will depend on the type of premises and is covered in more detail below. Intermediate routine checks should be carried out between tests. If you are setting up a schedule of Fixed Testing for the first time, or updating a schedule following expansion or a move to new premises, an engineer should first identify all circuits and review previous test information, completing circuit tracing where appropriate to identify and map hard wiring. How frequently should tests be carried out? As a responsible employer, you will be expected to evaluate high and low threats and divide your inspections accordingly. A risk assessment should be carried out for the testing process itself to identify any operational or safety issues that might arise from disconnecting certain circuits or equipment during testing. The maximum interval between inspection and testing depends on the type of premises. Business owners will also need to take into account factors such as the type of installation, usage levels and external influences when deciding whether more frequent testing of specific electrical installations is needed. Although there are minimum requirements, therefore, employers will be expected to use their judgement to ensure the safety of their staff in order to comply with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, which state that an employer should be able to ensure the safety of employees and service users. As a responsible employer, you will be expected to evaluate high and low threats and divide your inspections accordingly. The results of your risk assessment will help you identify the actions you need to take to safeguard your electrical systems.
The following guide sets out recommended intervals for testing according to property type. This information should support maintenance scheduling but should be considered alongside other evidence including previous test reports. DOMESTIC ACCOMMODATION (including landlord owned rental premises) EVERY 10 YEARS FOR DOMESTIC PREMISES, OR AT CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP RENTED DOMESTIC PROPERTY. PROPERTIES SUCH AS HALLS OF RESIDENCE SHOULD BE TESTED WITH ROUTINE CHECKS EVERY YEAR. HOSPITALS & MEDICAL CLINICS WITH ANNUALLY (6 MONTHLY IN PARTS OF THE BUILDING WHERE MEDICAL PROCEDURES ARE CARRIED OUT) CINEMAS & THEATRES EVERY 1 TO 3 YEARS HOTELS, RESTAURANTS & SHOPS INDUSTRIAL PREMISES EVERY 3 YEARS OFFICES & OTHER COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
Creating a Testing Plan Risk Assessment In addition to the testing interval recommendations above, fixed wiring should be risk assessed to determine whether more frequent inspections are needed for specific areas. Risk factors might include: High risk environments such as manufacturing facilities or medical treatment centres; Age; Location is it susceptible to harsh weather, vandalism or exposure to UV light? Has it been modified? Have issues been raised during previous tests? Each of these potential risks should be recorded and referred to when setting testing schedules. Action Plan Once the risk assessment is complete, an action plan can be drawn. If any elements have been identified as potential hazards these should be subject to a more detailed plan of action which is likely to include an immediate EICR report and regular checks. The maintenance plan should specify what level of testing is required at each interval e.g. Formal visual inspection every 6 months with EICR reports every 12 months. Any maintenance schedule should be preventative rather than reactive. Checks will include: User checks; Formal visual inspection by a specified person at an agreed time interval; Fixed wire testing and reporting by a qualified and registered electrical professional. The maintenance plan should specify what level of testing is required at each interval e.g. Formal visual inspection every 6 months with EICR reports every 12 months.
How to carry out checks User Checks Employees and service users should be alert to any loss or interruption of power that could indicate faults. Formal Visual Inspections Formal visual inspections should be carried out by a trained member of staff who can check all accessible components and identify broken circuits. Professional testing A qualified electrician with UKAS or NICEIC accreditation should be used to carry out a full survey and Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). Many organisations chose to have a planned maintenance plan to ensure their establishment keeps within the guidelines of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 Act. If connections are modified, and/or defective it is in your best interest to carry out additional intermediate fixed wire testing. A professional contractor will be able to carry out: Thermographic inspections can be used to quickly detect hidden defects as in the system like erosion, refractory linings, and the breakdown of piping systems; Earth fault loop impedance testing; Tests to make sure that the electrical insulation material surrounding the conductors is intact, protecting fixings from the risk of fire hazards; Full testing of all fixed electrical components. The contractor may need to disconnect power sources and circuits in order to check the installations and a clear maintenance plan will ensure there is as little disruption to your business as possible.
The EICR report will include an observations section highlighting areas of concern. This information should be reviewing carefully, action taken where required and, if necessary, testing schedules should be updated to take into account any issues raised. Keeping records Electrical testing should test electrical circuits from every distribution board. Testing should always be carried out on the entire circuit on each distribution board, not just a sample. A sample test of a proportion of the accessories (such as sockets and lights) on each circuit is acceptable. If a fault is identified here, wider accessory testing will be undertaken. Keep a record of testing dates and results for each assessment for quick reference in the event of an incident. In the event of an accident, having up to date assessments and reports gives you a reference to the possible cause or problem and demonstrates compliance. It is vital that the maintenance interval for each appliance is frequently updated depending on the results of each test.