In October 2020 the IET published the 5^th Edition of the Code of Practice for the ‘In Service Inspection & Test of Electrical Equipment’ This also covers electrical PAT testing.

A number of updates have been introduced including a new ‘Class’ of appliance, Class 2 FE.

These items fulfill the requirements of Class 2 (Double Insulated) though use an earth for functional purposes. A good example of one of these items is a Laptop Power supply.

There are now 4 classes of appliance;

• Class 1
• Class II or Class 2
• Class 11 FE
• Class III or Class 3

What are the intervals for checking Portable Electrical Equipment or Electrical PAT testing?

Each item has a different construction and therefore following risk assessment may have a different frequency for the planned formal inspection and electrical PAT testing.

The Health and Safety Executive suggest the following electrical PAT testing intervals for checking portable electrical equipment dependant on the environment they are placed:

• Desktop computers, VDU screen every 2-4 years.
• Photocopiers and fax machines, not hand held and rarely moved 2-4 years.
• Double insulated Class 2 equipment, not hand-held and moved occasionally like fans table lamps 2-4 years.
• Double insulated Class 2 & 2FE equipment, hand-held like floor cleaners, kitchen equipment 6 months – 1 year.
• Earthed equipment Class I like electric kettles, irons 6 months – 1 year.
• Cables (leads and plugs connected to the above) and mains voltage extension leads and battery charging equipment. 6 months – 4 years depending on the equipment being used.

If you have a question or a concern about Class 2FE or electrical PAT testing for your appliances, please call 01543 225306, or fill out one of our contact forms to arrange a free assessment of your premises, with one of our fully trained electrical engineers.

Useful references:

IET 5^th Edition of the Code of Practice for the ‘In Service Inspection & Test of Electrical Equipment’

What is an EICR?

This acronym stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report and it is an official document that is presented to a business following electrical inspection and testing.

What types of testing are carried out during an EICR?

A Verisev fully qualified electrical engineer will carry out a vast range of electrical inspection and testing before a EICR is generated.

Each circuit will be isolated and electrical tests will be carried out to make sure that each one is safe. If there are any issues these will be mentioned in the EICR.

All the hardwiring of your premises must be checked to give a detailed EICR for electrical inspection and testing. Items to inspect include main panels, distribution boards, air conditioning, power sockets etc.

Once the electrical inspection and testing is complete the EICR will formally document the findings from the qualified engineer that conducted the inspection. Any faults or issues will be added and addressed with you to reduce the risk. Remedial work will be discussed with you on site to make sure you are up and running and compliant with no downtime. The actions in the EICR aren’t legally binding however should your electrical system have a fault causing an accident to someone and the EICR highlights areas that you didn’t action that could have prevented it from occurring your business could be prosecuted.

How Often Should a EICR be Carried Out?

Our fully qualified engineers will give you and your business the guidance and advice to keep safe and compliant from the electrical inspection and testing. The frequency of EICRs depends upon many items from what ways electrical systems are used and how often. Maintenance is a crucial element and we will be able to see how well an electrical item has been maintained and when it was professionally tested / inspected.

Does the EICR demonstrate Electrical Compliance?

An employer or duty holder can demonstrate compliance with the regulations in respect to their electrical installation in the form of an up to date Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) which has been checked and completed by a qualified electrical engineer. Today, many insurers wish to see evidence of a company being compliant and this can be easily carried out by reading the EICR report.

Make sure you are compliant with your electrical inspection and testing and employ Veriserv as your contractor for all your electrical fixed wire inspection and testing.

If you require fixed wire testing, or any electrical inspection and testing within your business or want to discuss the EICR with us simply fill out our contact form to book your free assessment, or call 01543 225306 to speak to a member of our team.

Thermographic surveys detect abnormally high temperatures and are a non-disruptive way of inspecting installations, so your business operation isn’t affected.

What are the reasons for high temperatures?

• A fault with the equipment
• Overloading sockets in your workplace
• Loose connections
• The age of the equipment – gradual wear and tear.

Why should you undertake a thermographic survey?

These surveys help you identify hot spots in electrical systems that you might not be able to see and makes sure that they are running safely. With a thermographic survey, you can rest assured that any faults are dealt with and, as it is non-disruptive in nature, there is no down time for you to be affected by.

What does a Thermal image look like?

Based on infrared radiation, thermal images will have a range of colours. The hottest areas of the thermal image from the thermographic survey will be yellow in colour, the coolest will appear in blue.

How often should Thermographic inspections be carried out?

The Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE) recommend routine inspections to the electrical installation between the formal periodic inspections. Thermographic surveys of critical parts for an installation could mean they have to be isolated in order for them to be inspected. This would obviously cause disruption however, a routine thermographic inspection of these parts will help your business to run and could identify underlying defects which in turn could lead to a failure of the electrical supply. This shows how important it is to have thermographic inspections routinely incorporated in to the maintenance schedules to stay safe.

What can a Thermographic inspection survey?

We can inspect any electrical system or equipment that you might have a concern about. Items include:

• LV transformers
• Control panels
• Cable runs & terminals
• Motor and pumps
• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning panels
• Electrical distribution boards
• Main panel boards
• Power busbars
• Electrical risers and tap off units
• Essential power
• Generators

Who will carry out a thermographic inspection at Veriserv?

Themographic surveys are carried out by our experienced electrically qualified inspection and test engineers. Analysis will be undertaken during the survey and action will be taken immediately if an issue arises or is reported on.

Please call 01543 225306 or fill out one of our contact forms to discuss our service levels and to run a thermographic inspection for your business. Talk to us today so we can keep you and your business safe.

Keeping your electrical installations compliant should be of paramount importance for any business owner. Making sure your business is compliant and has all of the correct certificates will not only keep you and your employees safe but eliminate any threat of legal action should the worst happen. There are a number of ways that you can check to make sure you are compliant to BS 7671 for your electrical systems:

• You should have an EICR, electrical installation condition report that you can refer to. If the report shows any ‘unsatisfactory’ levels, then you should have been made aware of the remedial work that needs to be carried out to rectify it.
• If remedial works or other modifications have been undertaken to your installation you may have Minor Works or Electrical Installation certificates to keep on record demonstrating your compliance.

If you are not sure if your business is compliant and up-to-date with a fixed wire testing and inspection please call 01543 225306 or fill out one of our contact forms and we can assist

Emergency lighting should be tested regularly to ensure it is compliant and works correctly, allowing occupants to safely evacuate a building in the event of an emergency.

Are your emergency lights operating or compliant with current regulations?

This maybe a question you ask yourself from time to time, but ensuring your emergency lighting fully performs in the event of an emergency is crucial for compliance with statutory requirements and to give you peace of mind.

Monthly emergency lighting tests:

All emergency lighting systems must be tested monthly. The test is a short functional test in accordance with BS EN 50172 / BS 5266-8.

The period of simulated failure should be sufficient for the purpose of this test while minimising damage to the system components, e.g. lamps. During this period, all luminaires and signs shall be checked to ensure that they are present, clean and functioning correctly.

Annual emergency lighting tests:

A test for the full rated duration of the emergency lights (e.g. 3 hours) must be carried out. The emergency lights must still be working at the end of this test.

The result of the monthly and annual tests must be recorded and, if failures are detected, these must be remedied as soon as possible.

How can Veriserv help you?

Carrying out routine inspections to your emergency light installation is just part of the service that we offer. Veriserv offer various service levels of inspection that will ensure compliance, functionality and maintainability of your installation.

What is incorporated in the various service levels?

All inspections involve basic functional tests whereby the emergency light installation undergoes a “drop test”.  This test ensures that all fittings are operated in emergency mode and remain operative for the required duration.

A number of other checks are routinely undertaken including the inspection of batteries or other backup supplies and compliance with current regulations.

Depending on the service level required, Veriserv will;

• Inspect at agreed intervals from monthly through to annually
• Undertake remedial repairs to ensure the system remains fully functional
• Provide a log book and ensure it is kept fully up to date
• Up date as fitted floor plan drawings in AutoCad format
• Provide certification & a full inventory report
• Provide expert advice on continued compliance without blowing your budget
• Label light fittings & switches to aid scheduled testing and remedial works

Emergency lighting is incredibly important to keep you and your employees safe. If you have any questions or would like us to arrange an assessment of your premises, please call 01543 225306, or fill out one of our contact forms