Electrical Remedial Services in the UK: How it Works, Costs & Everything You Need to Know

You are more than likely already aware of the importance of electrical safety testing. But one thing that can often be overlooked is the time period between when the fault is identified and when it is fixed.

If an accident occurs during this time, you could be culpable for negligence. Put simply, if the outcome of inspection and testing finds something needs to be repaired, it needs to be done so immediately. In the case that this isn’t possible, the electrical equipment, part of the electrical installation, or device, should not be used until such repairs can be made.

Shockingly, in surveys over 50% of respondents have admitted to carrying out electrical inspection and testing, but not immediately carrying out electrical remedial work.

This isn’t just something that applies to obvious risks such as heavy machinery, elevators and vehicles. It applies to all electrical equipment, including electrical wiring and containment, fire alarms, air conditioning, emergency lighting and more. When an issue or fault is spotted, it then needs to be classified in terms of urgency and then remedied.

What are the defects & observations categories?

Whenever anything worthy of note is detected in an electrical installation, or with parts of electrical equipment it first needs to be reported. This could be a major issue such as a component that isn’t operating properly or physically damaged, or something much more minor like mild wear and tear that could become damaged in the future.

These defects and observations need to be split into one of 4 categories:

Code One “Danger present, risk of injury, immediate remedial action required” is the most serious and means that the fault needs immediate attention.

Code Two “Potentially dangerous- urgent remedial action required” requires urgent improvement but is less of an immediate risk than Code One

Code Three “Improvement recommended” You’ll be advised that less urgent remedial repair is required in this situation

FI ‘further investigation without delay’ and you should take immediate advice from a qualified electrical engineer.

Smaller issues and observations may not require a code at all but still need to be recorded for future reference.

Test engineers are legally required to notify an the duty holder of the building or business of any Code One defects as they arise, as these need to be made safe immediately, the business is then responsible for carrying out the appropriate remedial action’s without delay.

What electrical safety standards should you be looking for

If you are looking for an electrical safety operator, the standards you need to be looking for include:

• NICEIC membership (the National inspection council for electrical installation contractors) as well as membership of other organisations such as UKAS, CHAS, ISOQAR or Safe contractor
• Testing staff should be employed by the supplier as opposed to a freelancer or subcontractor and are required to be qualified to City and Guilds 2391/2395 or equivalent for fixed wire installation testing
• As far as is reasonably practicable, All parts of an electrical installation including equipment will be inspected and tested as required by BS 7671 and Guidance note 3
• Insured for up to £5m of public liability
• Complies with ( The institution of engineering and technology) IET Wiring regulations BS7671 18th Edition

How can PHS help?

phs is the UK’s leading supplier of electrical remedial services. As the favourite provider of schools, hospitals and government buildings across the UK, we have operations centres and local staff in every town and city across the UK, making us your most trusted local provider, regardless of your location.

We offer all forms of electrical testing and repairs including service inspection and testing of electrical equipment, EICR certification, emergency lighting testing and more. All inspections receive an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) breaking down all faults, details on their severity and action that should be taken.

Our highly trained and experienced staff are also available to enter your premises, carry out the necessary tasks and leave without any interruption to your daily routine.

To learn more about phs electrical remedial works and testing, to get a quote, or simply to ask a query, please feel free to contact us now!

To learn more about phs fire safety, to get a quote, or simply to ask a query, please feel free to contact us now!