Are Your Electrical Installations Regularly Inspected and Compliant?
Every organisation has a legal and moral duty to ensure that its electrical installations are safe, compliant and correctly maintained. The latest requirements of BS 7671:2018 (18th Edition), Amendment 3 place renewed emphasis on competence, inspection and the correct application of protective measures.
One simple question now matters for every site:
Are you fully compliant with the five-year inspection cycle of your fixed wiring installations and do you have the in-house confidence to oversee work completed by your contractors?
Many businesses rely entirely on external contractors for inspection and testing. While this is often necessary, it can leave organisations exposed if they cannot verify the quality of the work completed, or if they lack the technical understanding to challenge incorrect assumptions, incomplete reports, or unsafe recommendations.
Strengthening your team’s knowledge through recognised electrical training is not only prudent – it is quickly becoming essential.
Understanding the Five-Year Requirement
BS 7671 recommends that all commercial premises undergo a full Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) at least every five years, or sooner if dictated by environmental or operational conditions.
These inspections:
Identify defects, damage or deterioration
Highlight non-compliances with current regulations
Ensure electrical safety for staff, visitors and contractors
Support insurance, legal defensibility and duty-of-care obligations
However, simply commissioning an EICR does not guarantee compliance. You must also be assured that the work carried out is correct, complete, and suitably evidenced.
Why Relying Solely on Contractors Can Be a Risk
Most contractors work to high standards, but without in-house technical confidence you may not be able to:
Recognise if test results are inconsistent or incomplete
Understand coding decisions on the report
Ensure remedial recommendations are appropriate and proportionate
Confirm that the installation aligns with the latest amendment of BS 7671
Challenge work that appears unnecessary or is not clearly justified
Organisations without internal technical understanding can, unintentionally, pass responsibility to external providers without retaining proper oversight. That creates risk, both operational and reputational.
The Case for Training Your Own Staff
Investing in recognised electrical training gives your team the grounding to:
1. Understand the current requirements of BS 7671:2018 Amendment 3
Including new protective measures, updated definitions, and changes to inspection and testing procedures.
2. Oversee and challenge contractor work confidently
Trained staff can read test documentation, spot inconsistencies, and ensure that work aligns with the regulations.
3. Improve compliance and reduce the likelihood of electrical failures
Knowledgeable employees help prevent issues escalating into costly downtime or safety incidents.
4. Strengthen internal competence for audits and insurance purposes
Being able to demonstrate in-house understanding is beneficial during external reviews and site audits.
5. Support a safer, more efficient working environment
A trained workforce helps uphold best practice across the entire site.
How the 18th Edition (Amendment 3) Course Supports Your Organisation
The City & Guilds 2382-22 18th Edition Course provides participants with the essential knowledge of wiring regulations required to work safely and compliantly. It is suited to:
Maintenance teams
Engineering staff
Supervisors overseeing contractor work
Anyone responsible for electrical safety on site
Delegates learn how to navigate BS 7671 confidently, interpret its requirements and understand how they apply to real installations - giving your organisation stronger internal oversight and a more robust approach to compliance.
Is It Worth Training Your Staff? Absolutely.
In a climate of rising compliance expectations, increasing contractor dependence, and heightened scrutiny of electrical safety, organisations benefit enormously from having trained personnel on site.
You do not need every member of staff to be an electrician. But you do need enough competence within your team to ensure that external work is understood, verified, and confidently managed.
Training provides reassurance. Reassurance protects your business.
Take the Next Step
If you want to strengthen your organisation’s electrical competence and ensure alignment with the latest edition of BS 7671, explore our 18th Edition Course and secure your place.
Empower your team. Protect your site. Stay compliant.