Errata sheet published by the IEE, 10 January 2003

ISBN 0 85296 237 1

Page 302, replace all the text of 15.3.1, but retain Table 15G.

The layout of this errata is such that, should you wish, you can cut and

paste the text into the book.

Chapter 73

The purpose of periodic inspection and testing is to determine whether the

installation is satisfactory for continued service. Regulation 731-01-02 requires

inspection, comprising careful scrutiny of the installation, to be carried out without

dismantling or with partial dismantling as required together with the appropriate

tests of Chapter 71.

The inspection and testing is as far as is reasonably possible to provide for:

(i) the safety of persons and livestock against the effects of electric shock and

burns, in accordance with Regulation 130-01;

(ii) protection against damage to property by fire and heat arising from an

installation defect;

(iii) the identification that the installation is not damaged or deteriorated so as

to impair safety;

(iv) identification of installation defects or non-compliance with the

requirements of the Regulations, which may give rise to danger.

The scope or extent of the work is to be decided by a competent person taking into

account the condition of the installation and records of previous inspections.

There is no requirement as such to carry out all the inspections and all the tests of

the initial verification. What is required is inspection comprising careful scrutiny of

the installation without dismantling or with partial dismantling as required

supplemented by testing to determine whether the installation is suitable for

continued service. The requirements are general: defects in the protection against

shock or protection against fire, or identification of damage and installation defects

or non-compliance with the regulations which may give rise to danger, will need to

be identified and reported.

The requirements of Section 732 relate to the frequency of inspection and testing. It

is worth referring to the note by the Health and Safety Executive on page 8 of BS

7671, which says ‘Existing installations may have been designed and installed to

conform to the standards set by earlier editions of the IEE Wiring Regulations or

BS 7671: 1992. This does not mean that they will fail to achieve conformity with

the relevant parts of the Electricity at Work Regulation 1989.’

What is required of a periodic inspection is not a simple reproduction of the tests in

Section 713, but a more general approach which fundamentally is a careful scrutiny

looking for potential hazards and deterioration of the installation, supplemented by

testing where appropriate. From the age of the installation and its use or abuse, an

experienced inspector will know the particular deficiencies to look for. Previous

periodic inspection reports will assist and may help identify deterioration of an

installation.

Regulation 732-01-01, Chapter 34, Notes to electrical installation

completion certificate

The Regulations do not provide specific guidance on the frequency of periodic

inspection and testing. Maintainability of an installation is specified in Chapter 34.

This requires the designer to make an assessment of the frequency and quality of

maintenance that the installation can be expected to receive during its intended life.

The designer must plan the installation with an idea of the frequency and quality of

the maintenance to be expected, and this must underlie the design. The frequency of

inspection is not determined solely by the design, but also by the wear and tear it

can be expected to receive. An electrical installation in a student's lodging could be

expected to receive somewhat harsher treatment, and defects less reliably reported,

than shall we say in a home, but this is no reflection on the student. An installation

in an area open to the public can similarly expect to receive some harsh treatment

from time to time, without any reliable reporting of defects.

The designer should initially advise the client of at what frequency he recommends

that the inspection of the installation should take place, and so provide some

guidance on the nature of the inspection. It might be more appropriate for a routine

inspection to be carried out frequently, perhaps once a year, or every six months

without testing, unless defects are identified or reported. Testing is likely to identify

faults that are generally associated with ageing and may be hidden, whereas