REGULATION AND COMPLIANCE
A Bender Earth Reference Bar, also known as an equipotential bonding bar, or EBB.
The statutory regulations, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 highlight in regulation 41
and 42 constructed and maintained to prevent danger.5
that all systems, at all times, should be This regulation does
not provide a frequency. The same applies in the non-statutory BS7671 wiring regulations. Chapter 65 – periodic inspection and testing identify the requirement for ongoing I&T to make sure the installation is in a satisfactory condition for continued service. BS7671 does not provide an ongoing frequency but highlights that the time between I&T can be assessed with the installation usage, type and operation in mind. The IET Guidance Note 3 – Inspection and Testing is a code of
practice that is recognised as a supplement to the wiring regulations. This document does offer information on the frequency of I&T. Table 3.2 – Recommended initial frequencies of I&T of electrical installations, suggests group 0 medical locations are completed every 5 years, and group 1 and 2 medical location circuits are completed annually.6 The table includes a note that identifies the I&T frequency for the medical location special location additional items, such as EBBs. As table 3.2 from the guidance note has ‘initial’ in the title, this suggests that the frequency is only for the first I&T after the installation is put into service. Further documents need to be reviewed to establish industry guidance. The IET published the Guide to Electrical Installations in Medical Locations, authored by Paul Harris. This document discusses the misinterpretation of guidance note 3, table 3.2, and includes Appendix 11 to clarify the requirements.7
Table A11.1 is titled ‘Recommended
frequencies of inspections’, and lists the maximum period between I&T. For group 1 and 2 medical locations it is concluded that the frequencies align with the standard requirements for group 0 locations, and therefore a 5-year frequency is listed.
Electrical safety Section 710 of BS7671 has now been part of the wiring regulations for 15 years, providing the framework for electrical safety in medical environments where patient wellbeing depends on reliable power and controlled touch voltages. Amendment 4 represents an important evolution of these requirements — improving clarity, aligning the regulations more closely with HTM 06-01 and HTM 06-02, and introducing the new Annex B710 report template for EBBs. For duty holders, this amendment sets clearer expectations for
February 2026 Health Estate Journal 41
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