The purpose of a periodic inspection and test is to determine whether the installation is safe for continued use. 

All electrical installation work in the UK is carried out to BS 7671 IEE Wiring Regulations.

According to the Electrical Safety Council, it is suggested that fixed electrical installation condition reports are carried out (maximum) every 10 Years for owner-occupied properties and 5 years for rented properties.

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 does not specifically state that inspection and testing has to be undertaken. However, Regulations 4(1) and 4(2) do state that an electrical installation should be designed, installed, operated and maintained in a safe manner at all times.

The checks are carried out to highlight any lack of earthing or bonding, to establish if any electrical circuits are overloaded, to identify any defective electrical work and potential shock and fire hazards

Faulty or damaged cables concealed within walls or under floors cannot be seen, but the cables could have been pierced by screws or nails, chewed by mice or rats, there could be a manufacturing fault within cables, or simply ageing of the insulation of the cables.

These are a few of the methods we use to determine safety of an installation:

• Visual inspection
• Continuity of all protective & bonding conductors
• Continuity of ring final circuit
• Insulation resistance test
• Polarity check
• Earth fault loop impedance test
• Prospective fault current test
• RCD functional and tripping speed test
• General functional check