FAQ

What is NICEIC?

The NICEIC is the electrical contracting industry's independent regulatory body for electrical installation safety matter throughout the UK? It maintains and publishes registers of electrical contractors that have been assessed against requirements such as the National Electrical Safety Standards BS 7671, the IEE Wiring Regulations

Are your electricians fully qualified?

Yes, all of our electrical engineers are fully qualified. We employ fully qualified and experienced electricians with City and Guilds Parts 1 and 2 as a minimum qualification. We continue the education of our electricians by encouraging them to take further course to improve their electrical skills and knowledge and to keep them abreast of new regulations. We also employ young people as apprentices, where they spend time training at college as well as on-site.

Do your electricians work directly for your company?

Yes, our electricians are all PAYE employees, which we feel is important for our organisation’s culture in terms of team work and company loyalty. This also ensures that our customers and clients get the continuity of having the same electricians for all their jobs.

Do you conform to Health and Safety Regulations/

Yes, we employ Lloyds, a highly qualified and respected Heath and Safety Consultant, to help us with our Health and Safety Policy and to ensure our employees are fully training on all aspects of current Health and Safety. We are also members of SAFE contractor, a Health and Safety organisation that requires its members work to a very high level of safety to ensure the Heath and Safety of their staff and the general public..

Which Electrical Industry Associations does East Finchley Electrical belong to?

• National Inspection Council for Electrical Installations Contracting (NICEIC)
• Accredited by UKAS standards
• Accredited by Trustmark standards

Can I get a quote for a job I need doing without incurring any costs?

Yes, we can try and give you a quote over the phone. This is normally possible for small electrical jobs and minor electrical works. For major electrical works we prefer to meet you on site to discuss, before giving you a written quotation; this is free of charge.

Why do I need to have my wiring tested?

Electricity will always find the easiest path to earth. Any faults or weaknesses within your electrical installation or portable electrical appliances can go undetected. In the event of another electrical fault developing, this could lead to serious risk of fire, electrocution or death. For example, a 13-amp ring-main without earth continuity could render all metal parts of electrical appliances plugged into it 'LIVE' if one item on the ring developed a fault to earth. Fixed wiring testing will accurately identify electrical faults, their locations and usually the recommended solution.

Will testing cause a lot of disruption to the power?

A short power outage can be expected on each circuit within the system. But because most of the testing is carried out whilst the system is still live, these outages can be planned around your daily activities.

Is electrical installation testing a legal requirement?

The law does not require electrical testing to be carried out. However, the law does require that you keep your entire electrical system safe at all times. The only effective means to that end is to have periodic testing and inspection carried out, together with action to remedy any faults found as a result of testing.

If an accident or fire does occur where electricity is suspected to have been the cause, then the duty is yours to prove that you did your best to avoid that accident (offence). Test data results together with preventative maintenance records will provide your best proof and defence.

Is electrical testing a requirement of my insurance company?

Increasingly, insurers are insisting that electrical inspection and testing be carried out on a regular basis. If you suffer an avoidable accident, then under law if found guilty you will be deemed to have committed a criminal offence. Insurers will not pay fines or compensation suffered resulting from a criminal offence.

My insurers have recently carried out a site survey and they didn't ask me to have electrical testing carried out.

A visiting inspector will not necessarily identify the need to maintain electrical safety at every inspection he makes, especially if there are other issues to be addressed. Because electrical testing has not been specifically demanded does not mean that the legal requirements to comply with electrical safety do not apply.

Why have I not needed to have electrical testing carried out before?

There has always been a requirement to satisfy Health & Safety legislation. In 1989 The Electricity at Work Regulations came into force, which clarifies the need to maintain electrical systems safely. So there has always been the need and test data results will form a major part of your defence should an accident occur which leads to prosecution.

My factory operates 24 hours a day; how can you carry out testing if I can't stop production?

We have a great deal of experience in working within the constraints of three-shift manufacturing environments. Because the majority of the electrical testing involves carrying out live tests, we can schedule dead testing around pre-arranged windows of opportunity, be these during holidays, breakdowns, process changes, cleaning or maintenance stoppages, shift changes or weekends.

I rent my business premises: is testing my landlord’s responsibility or mine?

You are responsible to make sure that you and your staffs comply with Health & Safety legislation. However, it is usually dependent on the terms of your lease as to whether you or your landlord pays for electrical testing to be carried out on the electrical installation. Usually, if you are on a full repairing lease then the cost will fall to you. Portable Electrical Appliance testing will always be at your expense.

I have been told that I only need to have a percentage of the system tested in order to comply.

As per the IEE Regulations, you can only rely on sample testing if you hold previous full system records, the installation is considered to be in excellent condition, no electrical faults are found during sample testing and no undocumented electrical alterations have been carried out since the system was new or last tested. This does not hold true for the vast majority, for which full inspection and testing should be undertaken.

Others have quoted me for testing on the basis of the square footage of my premises. Why do you only quote on the basis of circuit numbers or Distribution Boards?

Because there is no real correlation between square feet and circuit numbers: it is a meaningless benchmark. We have employed electrical engineers from other testing companies who have been paid on the basis of an amount per square foot. We believe that this puts pressure on engineers to skimp on tests in high-circuit density areas where they are racing to achieve unacceptable circuit test rates. It is also not an accurate reflection of the amount of work involved, and therefore, the cost..

Can I carry out portable appliance testing in-house?

Yes, provided you have the right test equipment and suitably competent and trained staff who can carry out the work. In practice, experience has shown that even with suitably competent staff, in practice time is an issue and PAT testing often gets left at the back of the 'to-do' list.

It is usually also not cost-efficient to undertake PAT testing in-house when you consider the cost of contracting out versus the cost of utilising in-house staff that is often pulled off such tasks to attend breakdowns. Do the sums..

What will happen if I don't have testing carried out?

Unless and until you suffer an accident then probably nothing will happen. However, remember that maintenance of a safe electrical system is a legal requirement. Therefore a preventable accident could lead to prosecution, for which there will be no insurance cover. You may also find that an insurance loss adjuster could make much of the fact that you may not have maintained the system adequately which could have led to the claim. Again, this could lead to an unsuccessful claim and a costly experience.

I run a small business - do I need to have my portable appliances tested?

The Electricity at Work Regulations applies to all businesses from multi-nationals to sole traders. So you still need to comply.

I am afraid that my electrical installation is quite old; won't testing open a can of worms in terms of remedial work costs?

Because we accurately identify any electrical faults found, the cost of remedy in most cases is not too great. The majority of problems found involve earthing deficiencies, which although potentially very dangerous, are not usually hugely expensive to remedy.

How often should my portable electrical appliances be tested?

The results of previous electrical tests should be considered in a programme of risk assessment. In the absence of such history then the following intervals may be considered as a guide. But remember other factors such as the ability of site staff to identify any potential faults or damage and take suitable action. Mechanical damage and abuse must also be taken into consideration.

• Low-risk: 24-monthly or more
• Medium risk: 12-monthly
• High risk (i.e. workshop equipment): 6-monthly
• Very high risk (i.e. site equipment): 3-monthly

How will I know when my next electrical test is due?

We hold records of all clients, together with re-test dates on our database and remind clients when re-tests are due.