EICRs for Business Premises in Dorset: A Plain Guide for Owners and Facilities Managers

If you own, run or manage a commercial building in Dorset, the fixed wiring is part of your duty to keep staff, tenants and visitors safe. An Electrical Installation Condition Report, usually called an EICR, is the standard way to show what condition that wiring is in. This guide covers what an EICR for business premises involves, who is responsible for it, and how to get one done without stopping the business.

What an EICR is

An EICR is a formal inspection and test of a building’s fixed electrical installation. That means the distribution boards, the circuits leaving them, and the sockets, switches, lighting and fixed equipment they feed. It is carried out against BS 7671, the UK wiring regulations, and ends with a written report on the condition of the installation.

It is not the same as PAT testing. PAT looks at plug-in appliances. An EICR looks at the wiring that is built into the building.

Who is responsible

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical systems to be maintained so as to prevent danger, so far as is reasonably practicable. HSE guidance asks duty holders to arrange inspection and testing of fixed wiring so that wear and deterioration do not lead to danger, and says the work should normally be done by a competent person, usually an electrician.

For most businesses that duty sits with the employer. In a multi-let building it is often split: the landlord or managing agent looks after the incoming supply and common parts, and each tenant looks after the installation inside their own unit. If you are not sure where the line falls on your site, check the lease before you book anything.

How often a business premises needs testing

There is no single legal interval for business premises. The right gap depends on the type of building, how hard the installation is used and the condition it was in last time. At the end of every EICR the inspector records a recommended date for the next inspection, based on what they found.

Sites with heavy use, damp, dust or public access usually need shorter gaps than a quiet office. A change of use, a refit or a new tenant is also a good reason to inspect sooner. Rented homes have their own rules, which we cover in our EICR guide for Dorset landlords.

What the report tells you

Each issue found is given a code:

• C1: danger present, immediate action needed.
• C2: potentially dangerous, urgent remedial work needed.
• C3: improvement recommended.
• FI: further investigation needed without delay.

Any C1, C2 or FI means the installation is reported as unsatisfactory. C3 items on their own do not, but they are worth planning into next year’s spending so they do not turn into bigger jobs.

Planning testing around your working day

Testing means each circuit has to be switched off for a short time, so on a working site it needs some planning. The things that make it go smoothly are:

• Testing out of hours or in phases, so tills, servers, kitchens or production lines are not all off at once.
• Telling staff and tenants in advance, and flagging anything that must not lose power, such as freezers, IT or medical equipment.
• Having drawings and up-to-date circuit charts to hand for the inspector.
• Keeping the finished report with your other compliance records, ready if your insurer, landlord or auditor asks for it.

Building it into a maintenance plan

For many businesses the simplest approach is to include the EICR in a planned maintenance contract, alongside emergency lighting and fire alarm checks. The dates are tracked for you and any remedial work is booked before it becomes a problem. Our post on what a planned maintenance contract should cover explains how that works.

Talk to us about your site

We are a NAPIT-registered electrical contractor working across Poole, Bournemouth, Ferndown and the rest of Dorset, on offices, shops, hospitality venues, schools and industrial units. You can read more about our EICRs and electrical safety certificates for business premises, or our wider commercial electrician services in Dorset.

If you would like an inspection booked in, get in touch and tell us a little about your building and when it is quietest. We will plan the testing around it.