Periodic testing and Inspection
Please see the legal responsibilities with regards to this along with our list of frequencies for the different types of installations:
Legal Requirements
The law requires that all business owners, their directors, managers and employees comply with "The Electricity at Work Regulations".
The law simply requires that all electrical systems must be maintained to be safe at all times.
No system or part of it may give rise to danger during either normal operation or under fault conditions.
Regulation 4(2) "All systems to be maintained so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, danger". "System" means the wiring of an electrical installation and everything connected to it.
Regulation (29) states: "It shall be a defence for any person to prove that he took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of that offence"
Test reports, together with other preventative maintenance documentation will form the basis of this proof and will provide your best defence against prosecution should the need arise.
Duty holders are responsible for setting up adequate maintenance programmes and must assess the needs and frequency requirement of testing, maintaining and monitoring electrical systems and equipment. Generally, the following test intervals may be applied for guidance purposes: -
Periodic Testing and Inspection Requirements.
|
Type of Installation |
Routine check |
Maximum period between inspections and testing as necessary |
|
General installation |
||
|
Domestic |
N/A |
change of occupancy/10 years |
|
Commercial |
1 year |
change of occupancy/5 years |
|
Educational establishments |
6 months |
5 years |
|
Hospitals |
1 year |
5 years |
|
Industrial |
1 year |
3 years |
|
Residential accommodation |
at change of occupancy/ 1 year |
5 years |
|
Offices |
1 year |
5 years |
|
Shops |
1 year |
5 years |
|
Laboratories |
1 year |
5 years |
|
Buildings open to the public |
||
|
Cinemas |
1 year |
1-3 years |
|
Church installations |
1 year |
5 years |
|
Leisure complexes |
4 months |
3 years |
|
Places of public entertainment |
1 year |
5 years |
|
Restaurants and hotels |
1 year |
5 years |
|
Theatres |
1 year |
3 years |
|
Public houses |
1 year |
5 years |
|
Village halls/Community centres |
1 year |
5 years |
|
External installations |
||
|
Agricultural and horticultural |
1 year |
3 years |
|
Swimming pools |
4 months |
1 year |
|
Caravan parks |
6 months |
1 year |
|
Highway power supplies |
as convenient |
6 years |
|
Marinas |
4 months |
1 year |
|
Fish farms |
4 months |
1 year |
|
Emergency lighting |
daily/monthly |
3 years |
|
Fire alarms |
daily/weekly/monthly |
1 year |
|
Laundrettes |
1 month |
1 year |
|
Petrol filling stations |
1 year |
1 year |
|
Construction sites |
3 months |
3 months |


