Changes To The Guidelines For Fixed Wire Testing

As of next year, the guidance notes governing Fixed Installation Testing are undergoing a number of changes. The first amendments to the 17^th Edition Wiring

Regulations (BS7671: 2008) were published on July 1st, 2011 and must be implemented by January 1st, 2012. It is important that all organisations are able to both effectively understand and demonstrate adherence to these changes.

When it comes to protecting both staff and visitors, ensuring a safe environment is always a key part of your ‘duty of care’. These regulations relate to the electrical wiring of a property and the reporting that follows testing and inspection, where defects and remedial recommendations are presented.

The main change within the amendment sees the Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) supersede the current Periodic Inspection Report (PIR) in an attempt to more accurately reflect the contents of the report. Under these changes to EICR, there is a more comprehensive checklist and the clarification of recorded observations will be changing from the current Priority 1 – 4 codes, to:

C1 - Danger present. Risk of Injury. Immediate remedial action required.  Any C1 observation should be reported immediately in writing to the person responsible for the site, including action taken to remove or mitigated the risk.

C2 - Potentially Dangerous - Urgent remedial action required.

C3 - Improvement recommended

These changes are being introduced to concentrate reporting on the condition of the installation, with specific regard to safety. Further to these changes, there are changes to the physical appearance of the report and the schedule of inspections. To ensure your organisation is ready, we are offering Free Information Packs that provide further details on these changes.

To request your Free Information Pack contact our Marketing Team