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Electrical Certification

 

Electrical Certificates

Periodic Inspection Reports

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT Testing)

Further information

Electrical Certificates

There is often confusion about what is commonly referred to as an  "Electrical Certificate".

There are essentially 3 types of documents or certificates. Each imply different type of certification.

  1. "Electrical Installation Certificate" (EIC) is the declaration of conformity from the installing contractor that the new electrical work described has been installed in accordance with the wiring regulations in force at the time of installation. It includes circuit charts and records test results taken prior to commissioning. An EIC cannot be issued by anyone other that the installing contractor and will include a date for re-inspection and testing. Variants of this certificate include:

    "Minor Works Certificate" for installation work not requiring a new circuit from the distribution board.

    "Domestic Installation Certificate"  a reduced EIC tailored specifically for dwellings.

    An Electrical Installation Certificate will be issued for all Installation work carried out by Lomax Electrical.
     

  2. "Periodic Inspection Report" (PIR) for an electrical Installation is similar in appearance to the EIC but is a report on the condition of an existing installation when an installation reaches the age indicated in the previous  PIR or the installer's EIC . This report consists of observations and recommendations following a visual inspection and the results of defined tests. A PIR can be issued by any suitably qualified or experienced person or contractor such as Lomax Electrical and must not be used to certify a new installation in the absence of an EIC. See below for more information. There is also a domestic installation version of a PIR. More details of domestic PIR can be found here

  3. "Part P" Certificate relates to the electrical section (part P) of building regulations and applies to domestic installations only. It certifies that any electrical installation work (with some minor exceptions)  has been notified to the local authority's building control department either directly of via scheme such as the NICEIC Domestic Installer Scheme for approved registered contractors. The certificate is issued by the domestic installer scheme on behalf of, or directly by building control and not the installing contractor. Part P certification It is a statutory requirement and is in addition to the EIC or its variants.

  4. "Portable Appliance Testing" (PAT). Required by HSE and EWR to assess the electrical safety of appliances. 

  5. Other electrical documentation include:

    "Domestic Visual Condition Report". Not applicable for commercial or industrial installations. Essentially a domestic PIR without testing. It is not generally recognised as a "certificate". Lomax Electrical recommend that a PIR be carried out in preference to this. 

    "Electrical Danger Notification" is issued to inform the owner or person responsible for the building that an instance of significant danger was observed.

    Fire Detection alarm system certificates and reports.

    Emergency lighting certificates and reports.

    Hazardous area certificates.

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Periodic Inspection Reports to  BS7671 2008

 All types of premises are required by wiring regulations to hold this documentation. These documents also provide evidence to support compliance with HSE guidelines, and Electricity At Work regulations. Many authorities require to see or hold copies of the regulatory test certification for the electrical installations  within organisation's  premises to reduce risk of injury or fatality from electric shock or fire caused by electrical failures and faults.  

This is a multi-page document with several sections. These sections include:

Extent and limitations of the inspection. A description of the areas or circuits under inspection and test with a list of limitations to the inspection. Limitations would usually include such items as the inspection of cables concealed within the fabric of the building or otherwise inaccessible or the absence or lack of Information that is necessary for the engineer to fully carry out the inspection.

Observations and Recommendations.  A list of items that do not afford compliance with the current wiring regulations. The are coded 1,2,3 or 4. The description of each code is specific but  generally implies:

Code 1: Immediate risk of danger. Attention required.

Code 2: Potential risk of danger. Attention required.

Code 3: Further investigation is required to ascertain if there is any risk of danger

Code 4: General non-compliance but not observed to be necessarily unsafe.

Overall Assessment. This is either "Satisfactory" or "Not satisfactory". Any code 1 or 2 observations would usually warrant an unsatisfactory assessment. Although not intended to be a "Pass or Fail" it is sometimes regarded as such.

General Condition. Brief comments on the installation including any that would not necessarily warrant mention elsewhere.

Details at the origin and earthing arrangements.  A record of the electrical supply type and earthing characteristics against which the inspection and test results are assessed.

Schedules of inspection and test results. A list of the criteria and tests carried out as part of the inspection.

Circuit Details and Test Results. A list of the circuits that can be readily identified from information presented to the inspecting engineer and the sizes and types of cables, circuit protection and installation methods for each of those circuits with recorded test results.  

Lomax Electrical undertake such testing and issue NICEIC Periodic Inspection Reports, the nationally recognised format for certification. In addition to satisfying the safety requirements of these authorities, the report will highlight any faults and deviations from wiring regulations that may raise cause for concern allowing the wiring installation to be maintained in a safe manner. This can often prevent sudden circuit failure and minimise 'down time' costs due to such failures, by affording the facility of a  scheduled program of planned maintenance.

Additional legislation and requirements usually apply to other types of premises such as:

Licensed premises

Places licensed for Public Entertainment

Hospitals

Nursing and residential homes

Churches and places of worship

Schools

Day care centres

Factories

Food preparation

It is also often a condition of insurance that electrical certification is held.

We have considerable experience in installation inspection and testing and can assist and advise. 

Click here to contact us.

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Portable Appliance Testing (PAT Testing)

The combination of The Health and Safety at Work Act, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, Electricity at Work Regulations and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, apply to all electrical equipment associated with places of work. The Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment addresses these requirements in respect of electrical portable appliances (any item of equipment that uses, monitors or is generally associated with electricity). 

The suggested frequency of formal appliance testing  varies with the  application and environment of use of  different types of appliance. In general formal testing is shown below. 

Frequency of inspecting and testing class 1 appliances

Type of Premises

Formal Visual Inspection

Formal Inspection & Testing
Construction Sites 1 Month 3 Months
Industrial 1 Month 6 / 12 Months *
Commercial Kitchens 1 Month 6 / 12 Months *
Equipment used by the public 1 Week / 1 Month * 6 /12 Months *
Schools 4 Months 12 Months
Hotels 6 /12 / 24 Months ** 12 / 24 / 48 Months **
Offices & Shops 6 / 12 Months * 6 /24 Months *

relates to the following class I appliance types:
All appliances where 1 period is indicated.
*Hand held / other appliances where 2 periods are indicated.
**Hand held / Portable or movable / I.T. and stationary (eg fridges) where 3 periods are indicated.

In addition to the above, non recorded user checks should be undertaken generally before use. 

For clarity, frequency for inspecting and testing class II appliances are not shown.

There are numerous other situations that affect frequency of testing. Please contact us for further information

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Further information

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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