Commercial Electrical Safety Certificate

The Importance of Commercial Electrical Testing

Every business has an obligation to follow various legislation and electricity in the workplace.

If you’re a business owner in the UK, you will know that have a duty to ensure the safety of your tenants or your employees. A Commercial electrical certification, referred to as a EICR, helps you to enjoy safer, cleaner and more sustainable electricity.

It is a legal requirement that businesses should meet certain codes and standards regarding electricity in the workplace. Regular hard wired inspections are essential to adhere to these standards and keep people safe. 

Why do you need a Electrical Safety Certificate

Having an EICR demonstrates compliance with these regulations, and shows tenants and employees alike that their safety is important.

Once you have an EICR, it is important that you renew it every few years.  This can be done via periodic inspections by a registered electrician. 

What Types of Certificates are available?

The type of certification or report you receive depends on the extent and type of installation work, or inspection and testing, that you have had carried out.

The EICR will show whether any work carried out is:

• New (for example a total rewire)
• Addition (if an existing installation has had one or more circuits added)
• Alteration (where one or more circuits have been modified or extended, or for example where a consumer unit has been replaced)

An EICR must be issued for all new installations. It may also be required for an alteration or addition to the installation – depending upon whether or not a new circuit has been installed. Where an alteration or addition is carried out but does not include a new circuit, a MEIWC or an EIC may be used.

It is important to keep hold of these certificates as they are documentary evidence that show the installation had been installation to a satisfactory standard of safety. This is vital in the case of any future claims. Also, they provide a basis for any further testing and inspection, as they can help save on any exploratory work that may be needed in the future.

Business are recommended to have an EICR test undertaken every 5 years.

Once the test has been completed, you will be issued with a certificate that details any damage, deterioration, defects or anything that doesn’t match the current standards and therefore could pose a safety risk.

Why have electrical regulations been introduced?

Mandatory electrical safety checks for rental properties have been discussed for a long while. Whilst many landlords already follow good practices, the new regulations aim to ensure that properties are protected and that tenants are safe.

Back in 2018, a consultation was held by the Electrical Standards Working Group to discuss safety in the private rented sector. In January 2019, the government published a response to the consultation that contained a number of recommendations, including mandatory requirements for landlords to carry out wiring checks every five years.