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Changes to Electrical Installation Certificates NICEIC and ELECSA Electrical Installation Certificates and Report forms have been revised to take account of the changes introduced by the model forms contained in Appendix 6 of BS 7671: 2008 (Amendment 3, 2015). In this article the key changes to the Electrical Installation Certificate are discussed. In a subsequent article the changes to the Electrical Installation Condition Report will be considered. Fig 1 Schedule of items inspected
Previously a single page form, the Schedule of Items Inspected supplied as part of an NICEIC Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) and an NICEIC and ELECSA Domestic Electrical Installation Certificate (DEIC), is now aligned to the format of inspections contained in the Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) and as such includes in Section 1, items relating to the condition of the supplier’s intake equipment. Condition of intake equipment A fundamental principle of BS 7671, is that before any addition or alteration is undertaken the condition and rating of existing equipment, including that of the distributor, should be confirmed (Regulation 132.16 refers). It should be noted that a limitation cannot be used to prevent inspection of an item relating to new work, consequently where the inspector is unable to confirm the items listed in Section 1 are satisfactory, for example, as a result of being unable to gain (or being denied) access to the location where the intake equipment is housed, then the certificate would be incomplete and should not be issued until access is gained. For such reasons, it is essential that a preliminary inspection of an existing supply intake is undertaken before installation work commences. For smaller installations, particularly domestic installations, access to the supply intake equipment for inspection and testing purposes is not normally restricted, but for many non-domestic installations, restrictions are likely to be employed in accordance with the periodic health and safety risk assessment. Furthermore in some premises, particularly larger premises, such as hospitals or office complexes, the intake location may contain high voltage (11 kV) switchgear, so it is highly unlikely for contractors to be permitted access. Where no supply is currently provided, no EIC should be issued. Where access to the supply intake location is denied, the person ordering the work should be requested to provide the required information so that the proposed work can proceed. That is, to confirm the items contained in Section 1 of the Schedule of Items Inspected, along with other information relating to the supply intake such as the values of external impedance and prospective fault current. Note: Where inadequacies in the supply intake equipment are observed, the person responsible for the safety of the premises should Connections Spring 2015
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