Electrical Inspection Condition Report (EICR)

It is a requirement of BS761 (the electrical wiring regulations) are periodically inspected, this provides an engineering view on whether or not the installation is in a satisfactory condition where it can continue to be used in a safe way.

Electricity is not visible and most of the installation is concealed in containment, voids and the fabric of the building it serves. Components can deteriorate over time and signs of damage or wear and tear can often be out of sight. As installations age the risk of failure increases.

The main issues in a system that has deteriorated are, the risk of live parts becoming accessible, the frisk the protective devices fail to provide automatic disconnection in the event of a fault and the increase risk of Fire,

One of the main causes of fires in businesses and homes is due to faulty electrical installations, additional protective devices to detect Arcing which can lead to electrical fires have been introduced, but having regular checks can reduce the risks also.

Electrical Inspection Condition Reports are recommended to be carried out in all installations, but for many this is now a statutory requirement. The guide and frequency depends on the type of installation, the use of the installation, the environment the system is installed in, the age of the installation and would be determined by the designer of the installation in the first instance and subsequently the inspector of the installation on the following condition reports. seeking advise is the best way to start, please get in touch if you have any questions.

It is important to note that the person carrying out the inspection is competent having suitable training and qualifications to carry out the inspection. With regards to domestic premises it is also noted that some electrical works require the contractor to be part of a domestic competency scheme. At BSEFM all of our engineers are fully qualified to carry out the inspection of electrical installations.

• C1 – ‘ danger is present’, risk of injury is likely and immediate action is required
• C2 – potentially dangerous and remedial action is needed urgently
• C3 – improvement to your electrical system is recommended. C3 is the only classification that can appear on a report and still pass the EICR test
• FI – Further investigation required
• All our reports are submitted to NICEIC for approval and recorded.

Where C1’s are discovered these are isolated to mitigate the risk of immediate injury and the client will be advised of the required rectification works and further instruction sort, however if only a minor rectification is required this will be carried out whilst on site. For all other defects noted a quotation will be provided for the clients consideration prior to implementation. On completion of

defect rectification, a new certificate would be issued recording a satisfactory outcome with the date of next inspection advised.

• The law states that privately rented accommodation must provide a valid EICR before any property can be let. To continue good practice we also recommend that all portable appliances being provided by the landlord are PAT tested, whilst it is not specifically mandated the portable appliances are tested by a landlord, the landlord has a duty of care to ensure the premised and all of the equipment provided as part of the tenancy is safe, by undertaking portable appliance testing landlords can fulfil this duty of care.
• For landlords and private homeowners Part P of the building regulations apply and all new installations, and some alterations to existing properties require building control notification. It is becoming more common place that during the sale of a property, evidence of notification of these works and periodic inspections is requested, whilst the Part P notification is required by law the provision of an EICR has is not yet.
• It is also worth taking into consideration that some insurance companies are increasingly asking for proof that routine maintenance has been conducted before a claim is processed, and can lead to the claim being refused upon this basis. We recommend your insurance company is contacted to ensure you are covered.

If you are unsure and would like advice on any of the EICR rules or wish to express an interest in our engineer completing an inspection, please contact us.

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• Education providers
• Private homes
• Retail
• Healthcare

Whatever your requirements are, our skilled workforce means you will receive an extremely high quality of service.