Electrical Installation Condition Reports, (EICR)
The two main elements of Electrical Certification are Initial Verification and Electrical Installation Condition Reports, (EICR.) Both test electrical installations at different stages; on construction and thereafter periodically respectively. If you are a landlord, property owner, or a facilities manager, you are responsible for ensuring that your properties are electrically safe. This covers any installations in the property that supply electricity, electrical fixtures and fittings, and any appliances provided by you under the tenancy or lease. (PAT). An EICR or an Electrical Safety Certificate must meet the current legal requirements. As a minimum, an electrical safety inspection must be carried out at intervals of no more than 5 years from the date of the previous inspection. A copy of the most recent report must be provided to the relevant authorities or tenants upon request. Some properties require inspections every 3 years, or even 1 year. It is the responsibility of the property owner or management team to check which applies to the property they are responsible for.
Emergency Lighting testing
Emergency lighting is covered by British Standards BS 5266-1: 2011. If you are responsible for residential hotels, clubs, hospitals, nursing homes, schools and colleges, licensed premises, offices, museums, shops, multi-storey dwellings, etc. then you are must have emergency lighting too. Please note that BS 5266-1: 2011 are the minimum standards required, it is advised that installations are to a higher calibre. Emergency lighting can be either: ‘Emergency escape lighting,’ ‘Standby lighting.’ ‘Escape route lighting,’ ‘Open area lighting,’ or ‘High risk task area lighting.’ They can also be either ‘Self-Contained,’ ‘Single Point,’ or ‘Central Battery Source’ operated. It is imporant to have a proffesional assess the specific needs for each installation. Emergency lighting systems should be visually inspected monthly for damage and anually, a full 3hr battery drain test needs to be conducted.
Thermal Imaging Survey
Infrared (thermal imaging) is a very modern, non-invasive technology that allows testing engineers to assess potential problems with the fixed wiring in buildings that can’t be revealed using conventional inspection methods. The reports and images created are just as important as the reports generated for traditional inspections. The beauty of utilising Thermal Imaging reports, is that the results are uniquely accurate and in some cases, essentially instant, so that any faults or issues that are not obvious to the naked eye, can be found and flagged quickly, and safely.
EIC Reports
EICRs must be kept for the lifetime of the installation they are related to. They should be available for any following inspections. We use MyDocs to safely and securely share our reports with you. It also means you can share any further documents with us too such as building certifications or floor plans, by simply uploadng them to your customer portal. Your new EICR report will include such things as the items inspected and tested, the circuit details and test results, observations and recommendations and of course, full details of any problems, faults and issues that must be addressed. This helps you gain a full understanding of the state of the electrical installation, and what you need to do to ensure it is compliant with regulations. We also provide the full premises report service to include Electrical, Gas, Fire and Air Con certification.
Remedial Works
To ensure the ongoing integrity of any electrical installation within a building, any faults or issues must be fixed within a certain time frame, 28 days if a rental. These faults and issues are identified by such processes as ‘Fixed Wire Testing’ and a ‘Thermal Survey.’ The remedial work is necessary to address those problems and must be undertaken in compliance with safety rules and regulations. Remedial work can cover such things as: “damage, deterioration, defects and dangerous conditions within the installation.” You will receive your EICR report and it may contain ‘C1,’ ‘C2,’ or ‘C3’ codes, or ‘further investigation’ recommendations. C3 codes do not legally require action, but it is advised, whereas C1 and C2 do need action to be taken as they do mean that the relevant installation elements do not meet the correct standards and are therefore not compliant with Health and Safety legislation and/or are potentially dangerous.
Gas Safety
Commercial Gas Safety Inspection (non-domestic) is the official name for a safety certificate that is issued annually by a registered Gas Safe engineer to cover all installation and appliances in your kitchen.
The inspection should include all gas appliances, pipework, extraction systems and gas interlock systems. The inspection will make sure that all details are covered, for example that the canopy has the correct overhand, that the CO & CO2 levels are not too high and that there are no gas leaks on any catering appliance.
The list of safety checks is set down by law and, because they are vitally important, you will need to prove that you are up to date for insurance purposes. If anything should happen to your premises, failure to obtain an up-to-date Gas Safety Certificate and keep a copy on the premises will probably invalidate your insurance policy.
Failure to have an up-to-date Gas Safety Certificate means that not only are you potentially uninsured and putting the health and safety of your employees and customers at risk, but you could also find yourself being prosecuted under Regulation 35 of the “Duties of Employers and self-employed persons” of the Gas Safety Regulations.
We perform gas safety inspections for all types of properties and can also provide landlord safety certificates. We test all appliances, pipework and extraction systems to ensure they meet the legal requirements and conduct any required remedial work to protect you from any potential insurance claims
TM44 Air Conditioning Inspections ACI
Since January 4th 2011 any organisation in the UK with air conditioning systems with a cooling capacity over 12kW has a legal obligation under Article 9 of the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) Regulations 2007 to carry out an independent energy inspection and assessment of their system.
TM44 Air Conditioning (AC) Inspections identify ways in which the energy consumption of existing air conditioning systems can be reduced, helping you save money, save energy, and reduce damaging carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
The Inspection is intended for all types of ‘comfort cooling’ (cooling for the comfort of human occupants), but it is also appropriate for air conditioning systems for some other purposes, e.g. Server Rooms. It is not intended to cover dedicated process cooling systems or systems that serve chilled distribution warehouses, or production and manufacturing facilities. Where systems provide air conditioning for both process and comfort cooling, only that part which provides comfort cooling will be inspected.
It is important to note that central air handling plant, cooling towers, chillers, condensers and coolers, local heat recovery ventilation units, and their controls are also included in the inspection report.
The inspection will also include a review of relevant documentation such as service and maintenance records, F Gas and asset registers, and will also provide advice on compliance with other relevant statutory legislation such as The Fluorinated Gases and Ozone Depleting Substances Regulations (phasing out of HCFCs such as R22, and the introduction of F Gas qualifications and certification).
In the UK, the air conditioning system in a building also includes groups of units that are individually of less than 12kW cooling capacity, but have a combined cooling capacity greater than 12kW. For regulatory purposes the cooling capacity of an AC system is defined as the ‘sum of all the individual cooling units under the control of one building owner or operator’.
F-Gas Compliance.
The inspection will comment on the maintenance regime and whether or not you need to comply also with the F-gas Regulations and Ozone Depleting Substances Regulations (e.g. R22). Owners and/or operators of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment with a rated cooling output greater than 12kW are required to have an air conditioning energy assessment carried out every five years. Latest updates to TM44 legislation can be found at the BRE website.
With effect from 4th July 2008 the European Union’s F-Gas Regulation No 842/0006 affects all users of air conditioning equipment. A log of all air conditioning systems must be kept on site with all system details such as make, model, serial numbers (including all served indoor units), type and quantity of gas. The systems must then be leak tested by certified personnel (frequency depending on quantity of gas in the system) and findings recorded in the register.
Any detected leaks must then be rectified at the earliest opportunity and detailed recordings of any recovery or additional gas included in the register for inspection. The legal responsibility for the compliance lies with the ‘operator’, defined as people or organisations that have actual power over the technical functioning of the equipment. This law has been brought into effect to reduce and monitor all ozone depleting gases entering into the atmosphere.
We can provide you with a custom made F-Gas Register complete with all the required information from your air conditioning systems and asset label your equipment to the required standard. Your register will be ready when compulsory leak tests are carried out and for inspection by any law enforcement representative, keeping you legally compliant and avoiding prosecution.
Fire Safety.
Below is a guide to fire alarm inspections; these has been broken down into types of systems:
Grade A Fire Alarm system
Grade A fire alarm systems have the following requirements;
Smoke Detectors.
Heat Detectors.
Manual Call Points.
Central Control Panel.
They are usually found in a commercial property, but can also be installed in homes.
Grade D Fire Alarm System:
A Grade D fire alarm system is usually interlinked smoke/Heat alarms, this system can be found in most domestic properties.
A full test of the fire alarm system should be carried out every 6 months. The test should be carried out by a competent person. The fire alarm test should be carried out in accordance with BS5839 part 1 section 6. Once the test is completed it should be put in the log book. On completion of your fire alarm testing you should receive a fire alarm certificate.
Tests Carried Out
All smoke and heat detectors will be tested for functionality. Bells and sounders will be operated and assessed to ensure that they provide sufficient sound levels in all areas. Fire panels, their batteries and all cable joints where accessible will be checked for integrity and functionality.
Test Results
Asset Register (inventory of all items tested, together with locations)
Test Data (results of tests carried out on all detectors)
Detailed instructions to client regarding interim testing requirements and method of achieving them)
Log Book (document for client to record all interim routine tests and any remedial actions required and subsequently taken)
