are adequate and something that the dutyholder should consider carefully. However, there are no specific timescales given for such activities in the Electricity at Work Regulations, or for that matter in any other statutory legislation, and the decision on what may be appropriate is something that the dutyholder will need to establish. This should ideally involve a risk assessment process with input from other competent persons. For example, where the dutyholder


adopts a new electrical installation or an addition or alteration to an existing installation, the designer responsible for it should have provided them with a recommendation for initial PI&T on the Electrical Installation Certificate. Thereafter, for future inspection and testing of the fixed wiring, a time interval should be recommended by the inspector undertaking the subsequent PI&T and recorded on the Electrical Installation Condition Report. Although the Electricity at Work Regulations do not actually require a record of maintenance to be kept, this is something that is strongly recommended, and such records should be kept throughout the lifespan of an installation. These include relevant electrical certification associated with maintenance and repairs such as Electrical Installation Certificates, Electrical Installation Condition Reports and records of the in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment. Where such records are kept, they can be an important source of information for the dutyholder when deciding how often routine checks and inspection and testing should be carried out. They would also be useful as a defence in court to demonstrate compliance with the law in the event of prosecution due to an alleged offence.


Some guidance related to what may


constitute suitable routine checks and time intervals for inspection and testing is provided in the IET publication Guidance Note 3 Inspection & Testing. This gives detailed information of the PI&T process, a list of routine checks and a table with suggested recommended initial frequencies of inspection of electrical installations that can be applied for both the routine checks and the


Activity


Suggested routine checks, based on Table 3.1 in IET Guidance Note 3 Inspection & Testing Check


Defects reports All reported defects have been rectified Inspection


Look for: ● Breakages ● Wear/deterioration ● Signs of overheating ● Missing parts (covers, screws) ● Loose fixings


Confirm: ● Switchgear accessible (not obstructed) ● Doors of enclosures secure ● Adequate labelling in place


Operation


Operate: ● Switchgear (where reasonable) ● Equipment – switch on and off ● RCDs (use test button)


Recommended initial frequencies of inspection of electrical installations, based on Table 3.2 in IET Guidance Note 3 Inspection & Testing


Type of installation


Educational establishments (schools and colleges)


Offices


Retail outlets (shops) Cinemas Churches


Leisure complexes (excluding swimming pools)


Restaurants and hotels Teatres


Public houses (bars and pubs) Construction site installations


inspection and testing of fixed wiring and equipment.


Minimum routine checks The suggested routine checks may be all that are necessary before deciding to reopen premises. However, the dutyholder should also check on the availability of previous records of maintenance, including any previous PI&T and ISITEE, and take account of the length of time that the premises have been closed. It may be that in certain instances it is more appropriate to carry out a full periodic inspection and test, especially


Routine check Maximum period between inspection & testing


6 months 1 year


1 year 1 year 1 year


1 year 1 year


1 year 1 year


3 months


5 years 5 years


5 years


1-3 years 5 years


3 years 5 years


3 years 5 years


3 months


if previous records cannot be located or do not exist, and where the premises have been closed for a significant length of time.


In some instances, it may also be that specific insurance company and licensing requirements will mean this is needed anyway.


Other considerations The initial frequencies given in Table 3.2 (above) often form the basis of the time intervals given by installation designers and commonly applied by the dutyholder


Continued on page 42 >>> CABLEtalk JUNE/JULY 2021 41


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