The real cost of testing Cheap

Unfortunately when you’re trying to compete with a market slowly drowning in 5DW, who can get through the Part P course, and think they know what they’re doing in an office block or a factory, let alone a house, but do not even know what a piece of VIR, Rubber, Lead, Pyro Etc. is no wonder the industry is in such a mess, but they are cheap!

That coupled with using Testing as a loss leader for the past 3 decades, which most of the large companies are all guilty of;  just to get the remedial works, and now you’re left with Large FM companies trying to get you to do testing for £ 4.50 per circuit because they bought the work at £5.50, need I say more.

Testing is not considered important, it is also considered a waste of time and money by many managers and an unnecessary cost, if they can find a way out of doing it or delaying it they will.

And faced with paying £ 8-14 pounds per circuit, for a professional company, subject of course to the type of building or paying £ 4.50 they will always go with the cheaper price, they are only interested in getting the piece of paper and cannot see the Danger in getting it done cheap, because they do not know what is correct.

I lost out to one of these companies a few years ago, they are no longer here, they were cheap one of the building tested, went up in smoke 18 months ago the insurance refused to pay out as there paperwork was considered worthless upon proper inspection, unfortunately 3 people died.

They control over 1500 buildings around the country all done by this company, upon closer inspection, the insurance company have now refused to insure the bulk of their properties until proper inspections are done.

Guess what they are trying to get it done for less than £ 5.00 per circuit, they have not learnt, and obviously there staff and tenants, mean nothing to them, I say make Testing LAW like the GAS and stop the 5DW and the Cowboys once and for all, simples. 

Legal Requirements

The law requires that all business owners, their directors, managers and employees comply with "The Electricity at Work Regulations".

The law simply requires that all electrical systems must be maintained to be safe at all times.

No system or part of it may give rise to danger during either normal operation or under fault conditions.

Regulation 4(2)
"All systems to be maintained so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, danger"."System" means the wiring of an electrical installation and everything connected to it.

Regulation (29) states:
"It shall be a defence for any person to prove that he took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of that offence"

Test reports, together with other preventative maintenance documentation will form the basis of this proof and will provide your best defence against prosecution should the need arise.

Duty holders are responsible for setting up adequate maintenance programmes and must assess the needs and frequency requirement of testing, maintaining and monitoring electrical systems and equipment. Generally, the following test intervals may be applied for guidance purposes: -

Electrical installations
(As outlined in 17th Edition I.E.E. regulations)

Type of Installation	Maximum period between inspections
Domestic Commercial Industrial Churches (over 5 years old) Places of public entertainment Petroleum stations Emergency lighting & Fire alarms	10 years rental on change of tenancy 5 years 3 years 1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year Note the word MAXIMUM

Call us today for your piece of mind get it done professionally visit our website www.safe-electric.com and sleep soundly at night knowing you have done your best to make sure you employees and tenants are safe.