8.2.3 - Periodic inspection

No electrical installation, no matter how carefully designed and erected, can be expected to last forever. Deterioration will take place due to age as well as due to normal wear and tear. With this in mind, the Regulations require regular inspection and testing to take place so that the installation can be maintained in a good and a safe condition. It is now a requirement of the Regulations that the installation user should be informed of the need for periodic testing, and the date on which the next test is due.  A notice, fixed at or near the origin of the installation, must state the required intervals between periodic inspections and tests."

Accessories, switchgear etc should be carefully examined for signs of overheating. Structural changes may have impaired the safety of an installation, as may have changes in the use of space. The use of extension leads must be discouraged, if only because of the relatively high loop impedance they introduce.

It is important to appreciate that the regular inspection and testing of all electrical installations is a requirement of the Electricity at Work Regulations. The time interval concerned will, of course, depend on the type of installation and on the way in which it is used. {Table 8.4} shows the suggested intervals between periodic tests and inspections.