Commercial Electrical Installation Condition Reports

Here at CES we specialise in the inspection and testing of electrical installations particularly on Commercial sites.

We currently have various business clients dotted across Shropshire and Mid Wales whom we provide Maintenance services with which include carrying out their 5-yearly EICR’s (or Electrical Installation Condition Reports).

It’s important for business’ to understand where they stand with their obligations regarding electrical safety on site. In general as an employer the site at which employees are expected to work in should be of a satisfactory condition to satisfy the ‘Electricity at Works Regulations 1989’, this may include ensuring appliances carry adequate testing certificates (PAT Testing) and ensuring a satisfactory condition of the fixed electrical installation – this is where we come in.

To ascertain the quality and continued use of an electrical installation involves a series of both visual and practical tests. These involve disconnection of supplies and carrying out a number of dead tests which should be noted for business owners who may be affected by loss of power during inspections – often reports are carried out over evening and weekends to allow minimal disturbance to the day to day running of business’ adversely affected by daytime power outages.

Amongst a vast number of things the tests prove;

  • Cables are still of sound condition
  • Connections are in their correct terminals and secure
  • Protective devices (fuses) are suitably sized for overload
  • Protective devices (fuses) are suitably installed for earth fault protection particularly for mobile equipment
  • Accessories are not damaged to an unsatisfactory condition
  • Outside equipment is suitably rated for its external influences
  • Earth cables are suitably sized and in place
  • Installation of cables do not obstruct fire exits in the event of an emergency

The main labour factor and cost involved in a condition report is the quantity of fittings to be tested and visually inspected. This is determined by various guidance notes dependant on the classification of the installation but over-ruled by your insurers requirements, meaning if guidance recommends inspecting 50% of all light fittings in a warehouse to ascertain a general condition across the whole installation but your insurer requires 100% of fittings to be tested and visually inspected to comply with their policy then the original 50% guidance would be over-ruled.

Condition Report durations can vary massively from small shopfronts taking only a day for two engineers to Industrial and Manufacturing Plants taking anything up to two months dependant on size and complexity. At the first stage of quotation the quantity of circuits on site will be tallied up with the average price per circuit costed dependant on quantity of fittings to be inspected and general access among other factors.

On completion of each report a ‘Satisfactory’ or ‘Unsatisfactory’ condition will be given dependant on the severity of any faults/observations recorded. Remedial works are then quoted and should be arranged for completion within thirty days of receiving the original Condition Report.

At CES we offer a one stop shop meaning your report and remedial works can be carried out by the same engineers saving both time and money on sourcing and liaising with individual contractors for the various works. If your interested in discussing further feel free to call on 01743850067.

Based out of Ford, Nr Shrewsbury we operate in the following towns and surrounding areas;

  • Shrewsbury
  • Telford
  • Oswestry
  • Welshpool
  • Newtown
  • Wolverhampton
  • Market Drayton
  • Whitchurch
  • Bridgnorth
  • Ludlow
  • Kidderminster

Example EICR on an Industrial premises near Shrewsbury.

Joe Collison.