Commercial Electrical Inspections

What is a commercial electrical inspection?

Before we dive into all the electrical terminology, an electrical inspection put simply, is just an overall health check of your electrical system. Its main purpose? To locate and determine the severity of electrical faults so you can prioritise remedial work effectively. The report does this by assigning a specific code to each fault found. Ever heard the term EICR? That’s what this is! So, a commercial electrical inspection is simply conducted in a commercial setting by a fully qualified, experienced commercial electrician.

EICR codes:

Understanding EICR codes thankfully is very easy. It’s important the report is easy for the average person to understand and comprehend otherwise the process can become overly stressful when it simply doesn’t need to be. Here’s a quick explanation of each EICR code and what they mean:

• C1 - immediate risk of danger. A C1 fault will need repairing immediately.
• C2 - potentially dangerous. A C2 code fault will need repairing as soon as possible. Not doing so could bump it up to a C1 pretty quickly.
• C3 - improvement recommended.  While a C3 code isn’t dangerous at present, improvements are strongly suggested. This is normally used when work is outdated and no longer compliant with modern wiring regulations (BS 7671).
• FI (further investigation) An FI code, which stands for further investigation simply means the electrician needs to conduct further testing to determine how serious the fault detected is. This might not sound particularly serious, but an FI code will still result in a failed EICR.

We often hear customers say “Gosh, this is all a bit strict isn’t it?” or “Well, it’s working fine, how bad can it be?”. While we can understand that sometimes a failed report might come as a shock, just because your electrics seem to be working just fine, it does NOT mean that they're working safely. Remember, there are so many parts to your electrical system that you can’t see. Our systems are in use 24/7 and deterioration is simply inevitable. So, if your electrician hands you a failed EICR, you must take it seriously.

How often do I need a commercial electrical inspection?

Generally speaking, an EICR is required every five years at commercial buildings. This does vary greatly, for higher risk areas (like petrol stations and hospitals) this can increase to once annually. If you’re unsure which category your property falls under, it’s worth checking with a qualified electrician.

Commercial EICRs, Bristol

At EMC Electrical Group, our team of commercial electricians have conducted countless EICRs for all types of businesses and commercial properties. We cover the whole of Bristol, and because we're based right in the city centre, we can get to you fast. So, if your Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is due soon, give us a shout!