Key points
- The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical systems to be maintained so far as necessary to prevent danger. Periodic inspection is how most businesses show they have done that.
- An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) checks the fixed wiring against BS 7671. IET guidance suggests a maximum of five years for most commercial premises, with shorter intervals for higher-risk sites.
- Any C1, C2 or FI observation makes the report unsatisfactory. Fix or investigate those items and keep proof.
- PAT, more properly in-service inspection and testing, has no fixed legal interval. Set frequencies by risk, following the IET Code of Practice.
- Across several sites, the hard part is tracking dates, remedial work and certificates in one place.
What the law actually requires
The main duty comes from the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. Regulation 4 requires that electrical systems are constructed and maintained, as far as necessary, to prevent danger. That covers both the fixed installation (wiring, distribution boards, sockets, fixed equipment) and the equipment plugged into it.
The regulations do not set inspection dates. Instead they set an outcome: no danger. Inspection and testing is the accepted way to show you are meeting that outcome, and it is what insurers, landlords and enforcement officers will ask to see.
The technical benchmark is BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations. BS 7671 is a British Standard rather than a statute, but an installation that meets it is likely to satisfy the 1989 Regulations. Inspection practice and recommended intervals are set out in the IET's Guidance Note 3: Inspection and Testing.
Other duties sit alongside this. Your fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 should consider electrical ignition sources, and commercial leases usually make the tenant responsible for electrical testing within the demise.
EICR intervals by premises type
An EICR is a formal inspection and test of the fixed installation. The inspector records its condition, any departures from BS 7671 that could cause danger, and a recommended date for the next inspection.
IET Guidance Note 3 gives recommended maximum intervals. They are a starting point. The inspector should shorten them where wear, damage, environment or use justify it, and the next date on your last report takes priority over the table.
| Premises type | Typical maximum interval (IET guidance) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Offices, shops, commercial premises | 5 years | Also on change of occupancy |
| Restaurants, cafés and hotels | 5 years | Busy kitchens often justify a shorter period |
| Educational establishments | 5 years | Change of use triggers a fresh inspection |
| Industrial units, warehouses, workshops | 3 years | Harsher environments, more mechanical damage |
| Places of public entertainment (cinemas, theatres) | 1 year | High occupancy, public safety |
| Swimming pools, saunas, spas | 1 year | Special locations under BS 7671 |
| Petrol filling stations | 1 year | Hazardous area considerations |
| Construction site installations | 3 months | Temporary installations |
Heat, steam, grease, water and constant cleaning are hard on wiring, socket outlets and flexible connections. If you run a busy kitchen, ask your electrician whether a shorter interval than five years is appropriate, and check the kitchen at every visit, not just at the five-year mark.
You should also commission an inspection when you take on a new site, after a significant alteration, after flood or fire damage, or when the use of a space changes.
Understanding C1, C2, C3 and FI codes
Every observation on an EICR is given a classification code. The overall result is either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
| Code | Meaning | Effect on report | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | Danger present. Risk of injury. | Unsatisfactory | Immediate action. The inspector should make it safe on the day or tell you in writing. |
| C2 | Potentially dangerous. | Unsatisfactory | Urgent remedial work. Agree a date and get it done. |
| FI | Further investigation required without delay. | Unsatisfactory | Arrange the investigation promptly. It may reveal a C1 or C2. |
| C3 | Improvement recommended. | Does not make it unsatisfactory | Review and plan. Not a hazard on its own. |
An unsatisfactory report is not the end of the story. What matters is that the defects are put right and that you can show it. Ask the contractor for a written confirmation of the remedial work, such as an Electrical Installation Certificate or Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate as appropriate, and file it with the original report.
Every EICR has a section on the extent of the inspection and any limitations, such as areas not accessed or circuits not tested because they could not be switched off during trading. A report with large limitations may not give you the assurance you think it does. Plan a follow-up visit for anything left out.
PAT testing: in-service inspection and testing
"PAT testing" is the common name for the inspection and testing of electrical equipment that plugs in. The IET calls it in-service inspection and testing, and the reference document is the IET Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (5th edition, 2020).
There is no law saying equipment must be tested every year. The duty is to maintain equipment so it does not cause danger. HSE guidance and the IET Code of Practice both recommend a risk-based regime with three layers:
- User checks. Staff look at the plug, cable and casing before use and report damage. This catches most faults.
- Formal visual inspection. A trained person removes the plug cover where possible and checks fuse rating, cord grip and condition.
- Combined inspection and test. A competent person tests earth continuity, insulation resistance and other values with suitable instruments.
How often each layer happens depends on the type of equipment, how it is used, the environment and its history. Hand-held equipment in a kitchen is handled more and abused more than a desktop monitor in an office, so it needs attention more often.
| Setting and equipment | Risk level | Practical approach |
|---|---|---|
| Office IT equipment, desk lamps | Lower | User checks, periodic formal visual inspection, testing less often |
| Café and front-of-house appliances (grinders, blenders, toasters) | Medium to higher | Frequent user checks, more regular inspection and test |
| Kitchen hand-held equipment (stick blenders, kettles, mixers) | Higher | Daily user checks, short inspection intervals |
| Hired equipment, extension leads, event kit | Higher | Inspect before each issue, test on a short cycle |
The IET Code of Practice includes tables of suggested initial frequencies for different environments. Use them as a starting point, then adjust. If tests keep finding nothing in an area, you may be able to extend the interval. If they keep finding damage, shorten it.
Large equipment that is permanently connected, such as a combi oven or a plumbed-in espresso machine, may be part of the fixed installation or need its own inspection. Agree with your electrician and equipment service provider who is covering what, so nothing falls between the two.
Who can carry out the work
The legal requirement is competence. For an EICR, that means a qualified electrician with inspection and testing experience. Many businesses choose contractors registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT, because the schemes assess their work, but registration is not itself a legal requirement for periodic inspection.
For in-service testing, the person needs training appropriate to the equipment and the right instruments. A trained member of staff can carry out formal visual inspections in a low-risk office. Testing in a busy kitchen or on complex equipment is better left to a specialist.
Before work starts, ask for:
- Evidence of qualifications and scheme registration where relevant.
- Public liability insurance and, for larger contracts, professional indemnity.
- RAMS (risk assessment and method statement), including how isolations will be managed during trading.
- Agreement on the report format, the extent of the inspection and how C1 and C2 items will be quoted and actioned.
Records to keep
Good records are what turn testing into evidence. For each site, keep:
- The latest EICR, with its next inspection date and any limitations.
- Remedial certificates for every C1, C2 and FI item, linked to the report they close out.
- An equipment register for portable appliances, with asset ID, location, last inspection or test, result and next due date.
- Records of failed items and what happened to them (repaired, replaced or removed from use).
- Your risk-based rationale for in-service testing frequencies, so you can explain them to an inspector or insurer.
Insurers and landlords increasingly ask for these at renewal or on lease events. Being able to produce them quickly, for every site, is the point.
Managing electrical compliance across sites
On one site, a calendar reminder may be enough. Across ten or fifty sites, the common failures are predictable: reports filed in someone's inbox, remedial quotes never approved, and new sites joining without a baseline inspection.
- Hold a single register of every site with its EICR date, result and next due date.
- Raise remedial jobs straight from the report, so each C1, C2 and FI has an owner and a deadline.
- Stagger EICRs so you are not re-inspecting every site in the same quarter.
- Align PAT visits with other planned maintenance to reduce disruption to trading.
- Review limitations and plan return visits for anything not inspected.
Fabric FM is built for exactly this kind of record keeping. Certificates attach to the site and asset they cover, remedial work becomes a tracked job, and expiry dates show on one view across your estate. You can read more on our compliance management software page, which is open for early access.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check the current regulations and guidance, or speak to a competent person, for your premises.
