RCP Installations ~ Electical Safety ~ Periodic Inspection Reports
'Periodic Inspection Report' is a term often referred to inside the electrical installation business.
Every property should have its electrical installation subjected to testing and certified periodically (Periodic Inspection Report).
Landlords in particular owe a statutory responsibility towards their tenants. Aside from their Common Law duty of care, the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 requires that not only is the electrical equipment safe at the beginning of every tenancy but that it is also maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy.
Electrical hazards are also covered by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System under the Housing Act 2004.
In the case of commercial premises and residences in multiple occupation there is a statutory duty under the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 for the Responsible Person (normally the property manager) to undertake annual Fire Safety Risk Assessments, which also include electrical safety risks.
If you let a property you are required to make sure that the electrical system and all appliances installed or supplied are safe to use. Failure to comply with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 and the The Consumer Protection Act 1987 is a criminal offence and may result in a hefty fine or even a jail sentance.
A Periodic Inspection Report (PIR) should reveal if electrical circuits are being overloaded, find potential hazards within the electrical installation, identify sub-standard DIY work, high light any insufficient earthing or bonding and continue to test all of the fixed wiring of the installation. This includes checking fuse and circuit breaker ratings and also testing the RCD's making sure they trip under fault conditions.
A PIR will reveal any:
- Electrical circuits or equipment which are overloaded
- Potential electrical shock risks and fire hazards
- Defective DIY electrical work
- Lack of earthing or bonding
Landlords in particular should make sure regular periodic inspections have been undertaken to make sure the safety of tenants is not compromised.
Periodic Inspection is the examination of the state of an existing electrical installation, to ascertain (in order of priority) any deficiencies against the national safety standard for electrical installations. There are four levels used:
- Code 1 - Requires urgent attention
- Code 2 - Requires improvement
- Code 3 - Requires further investigation
- Code 4 - Does not comply with British Standard 7671 (does not mean it is necessarily dangerous)
The end result from the Periodic Inspection Report will establish the overall state of all the electrics and telling you whether or not it is satisfactory for continued use and will outline any work that might need to be done. This will be ranked upon the urgency of the work needing to be done.
Who is qualified to conduct a Periodic Inspection?
Periodic Inspections should only be undertaken by a qualified NICEIC domestic or commercial approved electrician.
What happens during a periodic inspection?
The NICEIC approved electrician will inspect the electrical installation against the requirements of BS7671 'Requirements for Electrical Installations' ( IEE Wiring Regulations), which is the national safety standard for electrical installations, running to some 800 regulations.
It is recommended that Periodic Inspection and testing is carried out at least every:
- 10 years for a domestic installation
- 5 years for a commercial installation
- 3 years for caravans
- 1 year for swimming pools
Other instances when a Periodic Inspection should be carried out are:
- When a property is being or about to be let
- Prior to selling or buying a previously occupied property
Having completed the inpection, the electrician will supply a certificate of inspection, which will give a clear snapshot as to the condition of the electrical installation on the day it was carried out. If compared with previous inpection reports, any deterioration of the installation over time can be spotted before a dangerous situation arises.
An example of a periodic inspection report can be viewed here: View Sample PIR
Certificate
Our periodic inspection prices can be viewed on our
charges page.
