Which Commercial Electrical Inspection Checklists Do You Need to Use?

When you run a company in the UK, arranging electrical inspections at regular intervals is really important to guarantee the safety of the building and your employees.

All electrical components wear out over time, so it is essential to make sure that your installations remain secure and in working order. (Which we can help with.)

Before you fix your next commercial electrical inspection, you need to understand what checklists you should use for assessment purposes. Keep reading to learn precisely what commercial electrical inspection checklists are, how they work, and how to pick the right one for your business.

WHAT ARE COMMERCIAL ELECTRICAL INSPECTION CHECKLISTS?

Commercial electrical inspection checklists are a measuring stick by which you can determine if your work area complies with current electrical compliance safety regulations. Whenever you install new equipment in your business, it must receive quality checks to ensure it is safe and operational.

If you don’t use the proper commercial electrical inspection checklist (CEIC), this puts everyone entering and working in the building at risk.

Trained electrical contractors use CEICs to perform a walk-through of each area and compile a report of any hazards or faulty operations found.

The resulting report tells business owners how electrically safe the worksite is, what the currently installed equipment is, and what you can do to remove any potential hazards, if applicable. NIC EIC approved contractors use the commercial electrical inspection checklist to identify:

● Overcharged equipment or electrical circuits

● Possible fire hazards and electrical shock risks

● Faulty electrical installations

● Insufficient bonding or earthing

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Electrical Inspection Checklists cover all commercial electrics

HOW COMMERCIAL ELECTRICAL INSPECTION CHECKLISTS WORK

CEICs must adhere to current UK procedures and law while still being flexible enough to adapt to different types of buildings and institutions. The checklists give service professionals instructions to follow which they can apply to a whole host of electrical components.

Inspection checklists must follow current legal standards while remaining serviceable enough to modify based on a business’s particular wiring needs. Each checklist item is accompanied by a citation to applicable health and safety codes for the contractor’s reference.

What’s more, every checklist point also includes a quick overview of the required task, so the contractor knows what standards to follow in any given scenario. This includes empty fields where the electrician can add comments to compile into the final report following the full inspection.

PICKING THE RIGHT CHECKLIST FOR YOUR BUSINESS

The kind of business you run will primarily determine the commercial electrical inspection checklist you should use. For instance, there are electrical inspection checklists encompassing vehicles and motors, docks and boatyards, agricultural buildings, and hospitals, to name a few examples.

There’s a complete list on the Health & Safety Executive’s website but we would always advise you to consult a qualified electrician to make the final decision on the most appropriate one for your needs.

Speak to a licensed contractor to help determine the checklist that fits your building’s logistics.

KEY COMPONENTS OF THE ELECTRICAL INSPECTION CHECKLIST

The components you will need to check during the commercial inspection process are:

● Transformers

● Capacitors

● Motors

● Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Equipment

● Signs and Lighting

● Elevators, Escalators, Platform Lifts, and Stairway Chairlifts

● Field-Installed Neon Tubing and Wiring

We’ll explain each of the components in greater detail below.

Transformers

A transformer is an electrical component transmitting energy between multiple circuits, typically two or more.

The commercial electrical inspection checklist requires you to perform tasks like pinpointing transformers and ensuring that protection is adequate for both primary and secondary conductors. You must also ensure that each installation area receives proper ventilation and is adequately spaced.

Transformers should be within easy access in case of malfunction or emergency, and you should be able to disconnect them if necessary. They cannot be near any combustible components.

You must also install them in accordance with current regulations.

Commercial Electrical Certification Checklists cover numerous requirements

Capacitors

Capacitors are electrical circuit elements that store energy.

Items frequently checked when inspecting capacitors include guards and enclosures, proper sizing, overcurrent protection, discharge outlets, and disconnects. It is also essential to ensure that high-voltage capacitors are correctly grounded and identified.

Motors

Motors must have the right capacities and sizing to be safe and operational.

The commercial building electrical inspection checklist also requires you to confirm that motor overload, ground-fault, and short-circuit protection does not go over allowed limits.

Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Equipment

As most buildings contain air-conditioning and refrigerating equipment, this checklist item involves identifying related equipment, nameplate information, and branch-circuit conductor sizes.

You must ensure that circuits are not only appropriately sized, but protected, and that controllers and disconnecting components have sufficient ratings.

Receptacles and cords must be congruously sized while mechanical equipment must retain adequate lighting for ongoing servicing.

Signs and Outline Lighting

You must also check the signs and outline lighting of any commercial space.

Sign outlets and branch circuits must be appropriately identified, and light bonded. Transformers, ballasts, and power supplies need to be completely accessible.

Any live wiring should be enclosed for safety protection.

Elevators, Escalators, Platform Lifts, Dumbwaiters, and Stairway Chairlifts

If your commercial property has any of the above transportation components, you must identify the ratings and coordination of overcorrecting protection.

You can only store approved equipment in machine rooms.

You must also confirm that machine rooms and tops contain ground fault circuit interrupter receptacles (GFCI) and that elevators can be disconnected and powered by standby energy in the event of an emergency.

Field-Installed Neon Tubing and Wiring

For any secondary circuits, the commercial building electrical inspection checklist requires you to check wiring and voltage, ensuring they are correctly installed and supported.

They must also be located and accessible in suitable areas.

TO SUM UP

Selecting the correct commercial building inspection checklist to safeguard your employees and business visitors is a multi-pronged process.

You must ensure that each electrical code suffices for the building component you wish to check and that it is current according to existing UK legal standards.

The above overview is just a brief examination of the various electrical aspects you must check to ascertain that your building is up to standard, not to mention compliant with occupancy and equipment regulations.

We recommend you speak with a NIC EIC approved electrical contractor to ensure your business meets the highest standards of electrical safety and security… and that’s what we’re here for. Call our friendly team on 01530 249752 or contact us by clicking this link.

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