Many people are under the misunderstanding that new equipment does not require testing. This is not strictly true.
Whilst it is true that new equipment should be received from the manufacturer or retailer in a safe condition, it is possible that new equipment has, for example, a power supply lead with reversed polarity or has not had the metal case bonded internally to the earth conductor of the power supply lead.
This does not mean that every time you buy a new piece of equipment, you must carry out full Appliance Testing on that item.
What you must do is ensure that you have a procedure or policy in place whereby you meet your obligations under the law and/or statutory requirements, i.e. new equipment is purchased from reliable sources, new equipment is visually inspected for signs of obvious damage, and you have a regular frequency that testing is carried out.
New equipment can, in most environments and situations, be tested during the “schedule” of Testing.
This may not be the case, for example, if equipment is brought onto your premises which is not “new” but is old equipment brought in by a member of staff or the public – in some cases, this equipment has often proven to be the most dangerous. For example, during the winter and cold snaps, employees tend to bring in fan heaters from home or use other types of portable heaters but this may be introducing a risk of faulty/dangerous appliances in your business.
So before I get onto costs. There is one very important thing you should be aware of regarding fixed wire testing.
You will come across very cheap offers for an EICR. Why is it so cheap?
The companies do whats called a fly by test where 75% of the circuits at your property are calculated. This means they are not physically tested.
You see theres a lot of pressure for these companies to get as many tests completed as possible in a day so the electrician must cut corners or they wouldn't make the number of visits they are allocated per day.
I know this because i've worked for a company that did just that and there are many around. So please beware.
LooP are very pleased to offer highly competitive rates for fixed wire testing.
On average our test costs as little as £190 for a small site and £240 for a medium site.
As the saying goes you get what you pay for.
Generally, we do advise that testing should be carried out annually.
However, it also depends on the workplace environment, your insurance policies in effect and the types of equipment and their usage. For example, construction tools by their nature are more susceptible to damage than a computer in an office.
We strongly suggest that you consult your insurer if you are unsure as to how frequently your Appliance Testing should be carried out;
Many insurers insist on yearly testing of all appliances even if official regulations state otherwise, as such, your business may not be covered by your insurance policy even if your appliance testing falls within the current acceptable timescales.
If you still need guidance regarding frequency of testing then feel free to contact us at LooP and we can assist you. There is a basic logic to it all and we can help.
This is a common question and is easily answered. All bona fide electricians should check plugs/fuses and all leads/extensions. Old stickers should be removed from all cord flex / equipment and valid new ones neatly positioned.
The test machine will also be of 'A' grade industry quality, can perform all types of tests and will have a valid calibration certificate. If you are in any doubt as to competence then ask to show you how they test.
LooP does not cut corners when fixed wire testing. We endeavour where possible to test 100% of the installation.
All documents will be professionally produced and provided upon request. This will include the Appliance Test completion certificate and/or Electrical Installation Condition Report.
A sure sign of an experienced technician is the way that they approach the job, not only minimising site disruption and working efficiently but also providing feedback on how the job has gone when completed.
Beware of the rogues.
Many national companies send in testers who will cut corners and only estimate their test results. This is due to time pressures to complete too many test sites per day as they work on a bonus scheme.
In many businesses particularly older buildings there are never enough wall sockets, added to which there is also much more ICT equipment in most offices. Many portable electrical items like lamps and radios are also supplied with relatively short cables. It is unavoidable not to have to use extensions and adaptors but beware of the following dangers.
Damaged cable, due to leads being walked over, continually bent at the same point or stored badly.
You can trip or fall over taut, over-stretched cable.
Overuse of multi-way adapters or adapter blocks, which increases the risk of fire. We remove non-fused multi adapters.
An extension lead should only be used when it is not possible to reach a wall socket with the equipment cable. When the use of an extension cable is unavoidable – follow these simple suggestions:
Only use an extension lead which was bought ready-assembled.
No extension lead should be more than 15 metres long.
Only use extension leads fitted with suitably insulated connectors and plugs. (Never join two lengths of flexible cable by twisting the bare ends of wires together or using tape.)
Position an extension lead carefully to prevent any risk of damage.
If the cable has to cross a pathway, cover it with a rubber protector strip.
Always check that leads, plugs and sockets are undamaged.
Always check the extension lead plug contains the correctly rated fuse for the equipment being used.
When using extension reels make sure it is completely unwound to avoid overheating.
For general use, 2-core extension leads (without an earth core) should not be used.
Never overload an extension lead by plugging in appliances that together will exceed the maximum current rating stated for the extension lead. This could cause the plug in the wall socket to overheat and possibly cause a fire.
As a general guide all LooP pricing is calculated on several criteria:
1. The type of business
2. The type of testing in order to calculate the number of items Or how many circuits there are on the site.
3. Priced on a Fixed price and/or per item basis
On larger multi sites EAT prices start from only 70p per item but this is only an average and they can be lower than this.
All quotes are FREE and we continually strive to keep our prices competitive.
Please ask us to quote you for testing and in most cases we will try to Beat Your Quote AND in some cases Price Match It.
Dont forget we are a Local, specialist business and care very much what our customers think.
Most of our customers prefer a fixed price which we then keep across several years test renewals.
We make every effort to get our rates of testing right but as the saying goes "If it seems too cheap, it probably is too cheap".
Please be aware of the one hit wonders as they are around.
User checks refer to the actions carried out by all users of an electrical appliance in the workplace.
It is advisable to ensure all users are instructed in how to complete a user check which is mostly common sense. In most cases the user check can spot a number of faults prior to any EAT being performed and of course maintains workplace safety.
So, what is the user check looking for:
1. Faulty anchor points on plugs - this is where the flex has been pulled out from the plug exposing the live, neutral and earth conductors. This may have been caused by an overstretched cable. Place appliances in such a way that the flex isnt stretched.
2. The importance of not overloading plug sockects - putting too many appliances into a multiplug or extension can have very disastrous consequences and it is extremely unsafe.
Try and provide surge protectors or further sockets to safely use all appliances Or if this isnt possible unplug appliances not in use and swap them around as required.
Checks to prevent hazards:
1. Check for obvious signs of overheating. shown by burn marks on or around the appliance or a smell of burning, overheating is a serious danger. If its a plug socket overheating then turn it off immediately. Inform the responsible person of the issue.
2. EAT test label has expired. This means the appliance must be re-tested and should not be used until the retest is done.
3. The appliance cable has exposed wiring or has been repaired with insulating tape. It is extremely dangerous to continuously use appliances with these kinds of problem. Remove them from service.
4. Casing is cracked on an appliance/plug/socket. Cracked cases expose the appliance and/or wiring to the elements such as moisture. Whats more cracked plugs and appliances run the risk of electrical shocks.
5. Wires are exposed. Wires should always be contained inside insulation within the appliance and should not be visible.
A proportion of the test jobs undertaken by LooP are conducted at customer sites where there may be vulnerable Adults and Youths or School / Nursery children.
At these sites all contractors must be DBS vetted and in some cases Enhanced DBS. This ensures they are safe to work at these sites.
All LooP staff have DBS vetting which means they have the clearance to work on any site including for example research and bio-tech laboratories.
Enhanced vetting has been obtained to cover us for higher security settings.