Commercial Property EICR Requirements Explained

If you’re the owner or manager of a commercial property, EICR can seem like yet another thankless task to add to your list. In fact, it’s one of the most important responsibilities for your business and everyone on-site – and can actually make your life a lot easier in the long run.

That said, we understand how managing a property can feel like a balancing act. To make things simpler, we’ve outlined your commercial EICR requirements below…

EICR – commercial property check

The first thing you’ll need to know is whether your commercial property is legally obliged to obtain an electrical installation condition report (EICR). From April 2021, for example, all landlords are required to have an EICR every five years for both new and existing tenancies.

So, what about commercial properties? The answer is simple – all of them require an EICR to ensure their electrical installation is safe and fully functional. Unlike ESOS and SECR, there’s no threshold for turnover or workforce size.

While it’s not a direct legal requirement, an up-to-date EICR demonstrates that you’ve complied with the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and Electricity and Work Regulations (1989) – by keeping your premises safe for employees, customers and other visitors.

Failure to do so can leave you liable for any damage caused by a faulty electrical installation. That could be damage to a tenant’s stock or equipment in a fire, or physical harm from an electrical shock.

Commercial EICR requirements

Now onto the requirements for EICR…

Arranging the report

The report itself is a comprehensive check of a building’s electrical installation in line with BS 7671 standards. It needs to be completed by someone who is ‘qualified and competent’. While this is something of a grey area, there are a few things you can look for to make sure you find the right contractor:

• Experience – Check reviews, partnerships and how long they’ve been performing EICRs.
• Knowledge – Make sure they have an in-depth understanding of BS 7671, Electricity at Work (1989) and Health and Safety at Work (1974).
• Accreditation – NICEIC and the Electrical Safety Register are good to look out for.

Carrying out repairs

Your report will highlight any issues as C1, C2, C3 and FI. Here’s what’s required for each of those codes:

• C1 – Immediate action
• C2 – Urgent action
• C3 – Improvements recommended
• FI – Further investigation required

As well as arranging the report, it’s your responsibility to arrange the necessary repairs to ensure your EICR is satisfactory. In many cases, the contractor who carried out the report will be able to take care of repairs too.

Keeping up to date

Finally, you’ll need to stay up to date with your EICR requirements. Your inspector will recommend a suitable frequency when carrying out the report. To stay safe and compliant, you should heed their advice and arrange a report within the suggested timeframe.

Commercial EICR specialists

When it comes to EICR, commercial property owners and managers don’t need to stress. Volta Compliance can make things easy with a thorough visual and physical inspection of your installation. From fault codes and repairs to your next inspection, we’ll explain everything clearly so you can make informed decisions to keep your commercial property safe and compliant.

Find out more about our commercial EICR services online or call us on 0113 436 0402 to arrange an inspection.