Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)

EICR’s for commercial buildings are not a legal requirement, but proving you maintain a safe electrical system is. An up-to-date electrical certificate can show that a building’s electrical installations are safe and compliant, in line with regulations like the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.  

Our team are the experts when it comes to your business and the legislation that can affect it. You can find out more by getting touch with a member of the team here.

How often you complete an EICR report depends on several factors, including the type of environment it’s in. This means that the higher the risk, the more frequent an EICR report needs to be carried out.  

Just some of the factors that can increase inspection frequency includes: 

• Areas that are exposed to extreme temperatures or moisture like laundrettes, swimming pools, and saunas 
• Densely populated places that are open to the public, such as cinemas, hospitals, and petrol stations 
• Organisations that use flammable gases and chemicals  
• Dusty environments  

Below are examples of how frequently an EICR test needs carrying out in different premises.  

Aren’t sure about the frequency of inspections you need for your property? Our team would be more than happy to help. Get in touch with us today by filling out or short form and we will be in touch to discuss your requirements.

In general, EICR inspections are valid for 5 years for commercial properties and 3 years for Industrial. However, the type of installation being tested, how often it’s used, and the environment it’s in should be considered when thinking about when to have your next EICR report.  

Our team of experts will work directly with you, taking your requirements into account, to make sure your electrical assets are kept compliant with the latest regulations, in top condition and, most importantly, are safe for continued use by you and your people.  

Has your premises had an EICR test recently? Fill out our contact form to organise your EICR report today. 

The Government stipulates that whoever carries out an EICR inspection and test must be ‘qualified’ and ‘competent.’ 

With ‘qualified and competent,’ being a broad definition for an EICR report, the government recommends making sure whoever that whoever is carrying the EICR out is competent, experienced, has the right insurance and qualifications.  

But we don’t believe that’s enough to ensure someone is reliable enough to carry out an EICR at a premises you own or manage. In fact, the BES Group believe that because an EICR test is so important for maintaining the safety, efficiency, and compliance of your electrical system, you should only have the absolute best person for the job carrying it out. And that’s where we come in, we’re both qualified and compliant.  

Only qualified electricians should carry out an EICR. And, we’re pleased to say, our team of electrical engineers truly are the best in the business, and can carry out all your electrical testing needs. You can get in touch with a member of the team to discuss your requirements by filling out the contact form here.

While Electrical Inspection and Condition Reports do not fall under any governing body like the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) or the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC), they are regulated by the government.  

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 states that if a building or premises is used for commercial, industrial, service, or any other public or non-dwelling use, then both facilities managers and duty holders have legal requirement to keep the electrical system safe at all times. As part of this, duty holders must: 

• Have the electrical system constructed in a way that prevents risk 
• Maintain the electrical systems as necessary to prevent danger, which includes a 5-year fixed installation inspection, also known as fixed wire testing or an EICR report 
• Carry out work on electrical systems in a way that prevents risk  

It’s up to duty holders and facilities managers to maintain their EICR inspections, but the BES Group are here to take away any stress. We’ll work with you to schedule inspections when, and only when, they need carrying out, with minimal fuss and disruption to you and your business. To find out more about our Electrical Testing services, fill out your contact details here.

Regular EICR tests are vital for checking the condition of your electrical installations. This means that during an EICR test, a qualified electrician or electrical engineer will inspect the electrical installations in your building, looking for any signs of a fault.  

During an EICR test, the ‘fixed’ electrical parts of the property, such as the wiring, the socket outlets, the light fittings, and the consumer unit (also known as the fuse box), will be inspected.  

Examples of issues that can be found during an EICR test includes: 

• Problems with circuits or equipment that might overload or overheat the system 
• Areas that are at risk of electric shocks or fire hazards 
• Safety issues with bonding or earthing of installations and equipment 
• Potentially faulty electrical work that could lead to faults or injury  

Step One 

The engineer will begin the EICR report by carrying out a visual inspection, checking for faults like cracks, breaks and signs of overheating. Once this has been completed, electrical testing will be carried out to check the safety of different circuits.  

Step Two 

Following this, the electrician will have to disconnect the electrical installation from the mains power supply. Specific circuits will undergo dead testing (when no electricity is running) to find any wires which aren’t properly connected. Live testing (when electricity is running) can only happen once dead testing has been completed, which involves a precautionary test to safely check if there are any faults in the system. This test highlights one of the most important reasons for EICR tests – to see if components are safe for continued use.  

Step Three 

The electrician carrying out the EICR test will also check whether the quality of the earthing and bonding is sufficient, as well as further examination of switches, power outlets, light fittings, and any sockets installed in the property.  

If any issues or faults are found, they will be recorded by the engineer and detailed in the EICR report for further remedial action.  

During an inspection, the electrical engineer will classify each site with one of the following codes: 

Danger present and immediate remedial action required. Examples of C1 faults include exposed live conductors due to damage, poorly modified enclosures or maintenance panels that have been removed.  

Potentially dangerous, urgent remedial action required. Such as an absence of a reliable and effective means of earthing, or a metallic pipe being used for gasses or flammable liquids, or a metallic pipe of a water utility supply being used for earthing.  

Further investigation without delay is required. This means that during an inspection, the electrical engineer has seen something that could be a potential fault or issue, such as very dim emergency lights. This might not have been covered in the report, so they have noted it separately as code FI.

Improvement recommended. This categorisation is given to installations that might not comply with the current version of the regulations but aren’t dangerous. Such as, they may have damaged fittings which do not have exposed live parts. 

Our people are the experts when it comes to keeping electrical systems safe and are here to help keep you and your organisation compliant with all the relevant legislation. Speak to a member of the team today to discuss your requirements by filling out your details here.

No, but maintaining an electrical system is. EICR’s are the most efficient and impartial way of meeting

 your obligations. Under UK laws and regulations, businesses must have a regular form of planned maintenance to comply with EAWR 1989, with failure to do so meaning your electrical system might not be compliant. This could not only affect your insurance cover, but could also mean you’re putting yourself and your people at risk.  

Are your electrical installations at risk?  

Get in touch with us today to find out by entering your details here.

There’s no set answer for how long it takes to carry out an EICR report. Some circuits are straight forward, and some can be complex. Such as, a 1 point radial that is labelled will be easier to inspect and test than a ring main that has an open circuit and multiple points. 

We’re proud to be the experts when it comes to electrical testing services, which means we also have the know how to estimate how long an EICR test will take in advance! With us, you’ll be kept up to date on what’s going on, so you can make any and all arrangements necessary to avoid disruption to your business.  

You can get in touch to discuss your requirements by filling out the contact form here.