Things You Must Know About Electrical Certificates of Compliance in the UK

The UK, in general, has a fair electrical safety record, apart from isolated cases of deaths and more common injuries and fires resulting from electrical accidents. Many of these incidents involve misuse or faults in electric connections, plugs, domestic appliances, or poor electrical maintenance and DIY activities. Electrical accidents pose great dangers to health, resulting from shocks and burns, arcing, electrical explosion, fire, and certain mechanical movements that are initiated by electricity. Some common incidents that cause electrical accidents include the deterioration of the home’s electrical installations, the misuse of equipment, vandalism, broken equipment and accessories, and inconsistent maintenance.

Certain regulations are in place to ensure the safety of properties from electricity related accidents. There are also different kinds of electrical certifications that you should secure when making new installations, conducting electrical testing, as well as buying or selling a property. The type of report or certification that the inspector will provide will depend on the type and extent of inspection, testing, or installation work you are carrying or have carried out. Electrical certifications are available for electrical additions, alterations, or new installations.

The EIC or Electrical Installation Certificate and the MEIWC or Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate provide you (the person responsible for the electrical installation’s safety) with a certified declaration that the alteration, addition, or new electrical installation is completely safe to use at the time that it was put into service. Your Electrical Installation Certificate should indicate the type of electrical work carried out as:

• New installation – This means that the entire installation has been put in place as a completely new installation or when a complete rewire has been done.
• Additional installation – This applies when an existing installation is modified by the addition of one or more brand new circuits.
• Alteration – An alteration certification applies when an existing circuit or several existing circuits have been extended or modified or when items like the fuse box or switching equipment are replaced.

These certificates should also be saved as they can be used as a basis for further testing and inspection, should you need to update your certification in the future. This can potentially save you a good deal of cash from costly exploratory work that other types of inspections may require. Keeping hold of these certifications will also protect you from claims of injury or fire due to an electrical installation. These certificates serve as documentary evidence that will prove that your electrical installations have been inspected for and according to satisfactory safety standards.

I am James Livingstone the owner of Trade Facilities Services, we provide electrical certificates and electrical testing in London, Essex and Kent at reasonable and fair prices.