An EICR inspection is essential to fulfilling your legal obligations and in ensuring the continued safety of your staff and visitors at your Oxfordshire industrial premises.
Hawtin Electrical are your local, experienced industrial EICR electrician in Oxfordshire. We have put together this brief guide to industrial EICR’s to help answer all your questions and tell you more about your EICR inspection.
What is an Industrial EICR?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR, is an official document that is produced following the thorough inspection and testing of the electrical installation at your Oxfordshire industrial premises by a registered electrician. During the EICR, your electrician will be performing a visual inspection alongside a rigorous electrical testing schedule.
What does an Industrial EICR show?
Your electrician will be looking at all aspects of your fixed electrical installation, checking it is fit for purpose and in good condition. During the industrial EICR, your electrician will make observations on the state of your electrics and each observation will be assigned a code; C1, C2 or C3.
These observation codes are each used to describe an issue within the electrical installation at your Oxfordshire premises. The codes and their meanings are:
- C1 = Danger Present, Immediate Remedial Action Required
- C2 = Potential Danger, Urgent Remedial Action Required
- C3 = Improvement Recommended. This code often means the installation may not comply with the current set of regulations but is deemed to be safe at the present time.
How often do my industrial premises need an EICR?
Industrial premises such as manufacturing sites, warehouses, and workshops, require EICR testing every three years. Industrial environments require more frequent testing due to dust, moisture and extreme conditions in the workplace. This is also due to the more complex installations used to power equipment that is in constant use, presenting a higher risk and rate of wear.
Can an EICR help my business?
There are several reasons why EICR’s are beneficial to your Oxfordshire industrial business:
Safety - Carrying out regular EICR inspections helps to keep your Oxfordshire premises electrically safe. You can rest easy, safe in the knowledge that you have fulfilled your obligations to keep your staff and visitors safe from harm.
Compliance - Business/premises owners are legally required to carry out risk assessments and take appropriate measures to ensure safety, including:
- The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 which states that employers are responsible for the health and safety of their employees in the workplace.
- The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 which require precautions to be taken against the risk of death or personal injury from electricity used as part of work activities.
An EICR helps you fulfil these obligations by providing evidence that your electrics have been thoroughly inspected by a qualified individual. This can be crucial in the event of any accidents in proving that you have taken all the necessary steps to prevent harm.
Insurance - Many insurance companies require that you maintain a regular schedule of electrical testing as part of your policy agreement. In the unfortunate event of a claim needing to be made, you need to be able to demonstrate you have robust processes for checking your electrics are safe. An EICR certificate is the best evidence you can provide.
Aiding Efficiency - Your EICR inspection will be carried out by a qualified and experienced electrician. Whilst their primary task is to ensure your electrical equipment is working safely, often the faults that are found will be costing you money too. Malfunctioning or overloaded circuits will be using more energy and may not be working at capacity. Having these faults identified allows you to repair them and maximise your productivity.
If your industrial premises in Oxfordshire are due for an EICR, or if you have any questions about industrial EICR’s, contact Hawtin Electrical today. We are your local, experienced, and fully qualified industrial electrician.
Landlord In Cowley & Bicester, Oxford