Guide to Electrical Periodic Test & Inspection Reports
Every existing electrical system should in principle have been installed to The Requirements for Electrical Installations that was current at the time of installation. Today these requirements are known as British Standards 7671 - 2008. To ensure that your electrical system continues to be safe, it is recommended that a process of maintenance be enacted. A good process should include the use of Periodic Test and Inspection Reports.
What is an Electrical Periodic Test & Inspection Report.
Commonly shortened and referred to as a Periodic Inspection, the report is in effect the equivalent of an MOT for your fixed electrical system. The first stage involves undertaking a visual inspection to ensure that it is safe to carry out the electrical tests that are required later in the process. This element is an important time to try and understand the construction methods and history of the installation, little indicators at this point may turn out to be very beneficial in explaining some of the results of the next stage.
The testing part of the works requires that a number of specific tests are carried out in sequence, some of these may be over the system in general or circuit dedicated depending upon the type of installation.
The final part of the process is to write up the inspection notes and test results. To ensure that as much detail as possible about the installation is given in the report, a further analysis of the results should now be carried out.
Why you need a test.
Responsibility and obligations on the owners of electrical systems.
It is a requirement under current health and safety legislation that owners and operators of electrical systems take all reasonable steps to ensure that employees, tenants or members of the general public are not exposed to unnecessary risk when on their premises. It is this legal duty of care that needs careful consideration, as failure to do so may leave owners or persons responsible open to civil and criminal prosecution.
Insurance requirements.
Insurers require that their policyholders take reasonable steps to protect and maintain the premises being insured. A policy holder may well be required to provide evidence that an electrical installation is regarded and certified as safe. The best way to provide this evidence that an electrical system has been correctly maintained is to have the system tested and any required defects, corrected and certified to BS 7671. It is becoming increasingly common for insurers and underwriters, to have clauses specific to the electrical installation, requesting that a satisfactory status Periodic Test and Inspection Report be valid throughout the period of insurance. If negligence on the part of the policyholder is considered by the insurer it may well cause delay to, or even refusal of a claim.
Considerations for testing.
The importance of quality inspecting , testing and reporting should not in any way be under estimated. To fully ensure the safety of users, and your premises it is vital that the process is carried out by qualified personnel with the required knowledge and experience relevant for the type of installation involved.
As most systems were installed under previous editions of the standards it is very common to find that a particular system soon becomes outdated to the current requirements. It should however be understood that although standards progress and evolve to take advantage of new technology, this does not mean that older systems are unsafe and require any additional works. We at Metcalfe Electrical believe that quality testing services should be as much about informing clients on cost effective best practice and ways to upgrade rather than just providing a list of remedial works.
Modern day businesses require a reliable, quality and well maintained electrical system to enable them to succeed and survive in today's highly electronic and fast moving world. One way to ensure that down time of the system is kept to a minimum, is to fully understand and indicate what power supplies are feeding which equipment. This is important so that any future alterations can be designed and installed in a manner, so that essential equipment is unlikely to b e involved in an accidental power outage or disrupted when other electrical works are being carried out.
Future works.
Correct design and installation is reliant upon sound knowledge of an existing distribution and the requirements of the user. Time spent fully identifying circuits and any associated loads is a good way to save money over the long term, by ensuring that any upgrade and/or additions are carried out in a structured manner.
Definition of areas.
For expansive premises, an important consideration is how a report is written with reference to the how the different areas are defined. For example when working within residential and care homes it is most important that the area is defined relative to the fire detection system. Over time the areas of a property change use and careful use of definitive names is a must to ensure that a report is as easily read in 5 years time as now. A report written in a manner that is vague or outdated is unlikely to fulfill it's true potential.
Risk to persons and property from fire.
The risk from defective electrical systems and appliances is very real, every year the ignition source of many destructive fires is proved or reasoned to be electrical in origin. The damage that may occur from such an incident may be anything from a minor inconvenience to a major evacuation of people for their own protection from fire. Fortunately fatalities are rare but still a significant number all the same.
If you have any further questions or feel that you would like to discuss your requirements with us, please don't hesitate to contact us via email or phone.
We are highly confident we can be of benefit to you or your organization in both knowledge and cost.
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