Electrical Testing Electrical inspection and testing of a buildings electrical installation has been known by many names including Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), Periodic Inspection report, Periodic Electrical Testing, Fixed Wiring Test, Periodic Inspection and Test, Five Year fixed wire test, Electrical Safety Certificate. Properly referred to as an Electrical Installation Condition Report or EICR it is a full inspection and test of a buildings fixed electrical wiring which includes all fixed electrical mains cabling, electrical distribution boards and goes right through to the final electrical outlets such as electrical sockets, fused spurs, light fittings, switches etc. To ensure the safety of the building users it is imperative that every installation is periodically inspected and tested as recommended by BS7671:2008 (Regulation 135.1). The Electricity at Work Regulation (1989) Regulation 4 states: “As may be necessary to prevent danger, all systems shall be maintained to prevent danger, so far as is reasonably practicable”. The Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) compares the electrical installation within a building to the requirements of the British Standard that all electrical installations within the UK should meet namely BS7671. Where an installation is found to be non-compliant with BS7671 a deviation is recorded and categorised as; C1 – Danger present, Risk of injury – Immediate remedial action required. C2 – Potentially dangerous – urgent remedial action required. C3 – Improvement recommended. FI – Further investigation required. The electrical installation will be categorised on the electrical installation condition report (EICR) as either a satisfactory or unsatisfactory electrical installation. Where a EICR records any C1 or C2 deviations from BS7671 then it must be categorised as an unsatisfactory electrical installation. The frequency of inspection and testing derives from your risk assessment but the following may be used as a general guide: Domestic houses – every 10 years Industrial Premises – every 3 years Commercial premises – every 5 years Prices for Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) Many electrical contractors will price for carrying out an EICR. When considering a contractor, it is best to select one that is registered with a trusted trade body such as the NICEIC or ECA. The price for the EICR will be calculated by counting the number of circuits on site and multiplying that number by the time taken per circuit and then applying a labour rate. As a rule, you should expect to be paying between £10 and £18 per circuit depending on the amount of circuits (the more work the lower the price). Bear in mind that if because of the testing the electrical installation is deemed unsatisfactory then you will need to have the remedial work undertaken. This remedial work can and should be the subject of a separate quotation and negotiation and does not have to be undertaken by the company that did the EICR. An instant on screen price for EICR can be obtained at http://www.nccompliance.com/quotes-electrical/
Written by: R.Albutt 06.04.2017
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