Electrical Certificates and Reports - The Difference Explained

We issue both certificates and reports on completion of electrical installation work and after a routine test on an existing electrical installation.

But what are the differences - the below article will explain what type of report you will receive and when. 
--------

Certificates and reports issued in connection with an electrical installation serve completely different purposes and it is important that the appropriate type of documentation is issued after completion of electrical installation work or periodic inspection and testing. 

As its title suggests, an Electrical Installation Certificate certifies that new electrical installation work complies with the current edition of BS 7671; it is not suitable for reporting on the condition of an existing installation and should not be used for that purpose. 

Similarly, an Electrical Installation Condition Report is not suitable for the initial certification of a new installation, or of new work associated with an alteration or addition to an existing installation, and so should not be used for that purpose. 

On completion of the initial verification of an electrical installation, or of an alteration or addition to an installation, an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) or Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC) should be issued (Regulation 631.1 of BS 7671 refers). 

The certificate issued should be based upon the model form given in Appendix 6 of BS 7671 and should include a record of the inspection activities performed and the results of the testing carried out as part of the verification process. 

Importantly, an EIC or MEIWC must not be issued until any defects or omissions revealed during the verification of the installation work covered by the certificate have been remedied (Regulation 632.4 of BS 7671 refers). 

Such certification includes a declaration that the installation work has been designed, constructed and inspected and tested in accordance with the requirements of BS 7671. In short, it is a declaration that the installation is safe to be taken into service. 

On completion of the periodic inspection and testing of an electrical installation, an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) should be issued (Regulation 634.1 of BS 7671 refers). The report should be based upon the model form given in Appendix 6 of BS 7671 and should include a record of the inspection activities performed and the results of the testing carried out as part of the periodic inspection process. 

The report details the outcome of an assessment of the in-service condition of an electrical installation against the requirements of the issue of BS 7671 current at the time of the inspection, irrespective of the age of the installation or to which edition of the Wiring Regulations it was designed. Details of any damage, defects, deterioration, non-compliances or dangerous conditions should be recorded on the report (Regulation 634.2 of BS 7671 refers). 

The report contains a summary of the overall condition of the installation in terms of whether it remains satisfactory, or is unsatisfactory, for continued use. The report also provides feedback to the person who ordered the report in terms of the severity of the defects and departures observed and the urgency with which they should be addressed.

---