Epsilon Test Services calls on the NICEIC Group to improve electrical safety standards by targetting misleading electrical contractors:
Epsilon Test Services is blowing the whistle on unscrupulous electrical contractors that mislead clients when it comes to standards of periodic testing. The company is lobbying the
NICEIC to step in and set industry standards to protect unwitting customers from being short changed.
According to Epsilon, some companies within the electrical safety testing market are selling clients a 100% test and inspection deal but, when the small print is examined on their paperwork, it transpires that this includes only 10% insulation resistance testing. For buyers without electrical knowledge or training the difference is easy to miss but it has implications not only in terms of value but, more importantly, for safety standards.
"Facilities managers, health and safety managers and FM companies are being mislead and, in my opinion, mis-sold," states Mark Blanchfield, managing director of Epsilon. "We have written to the
NICEIC and asked them to set industry standards for periodic testing to stamp out this kind of unethical practice. We have recommended that the standard is set at 100% testing of every circuit because this is comprehensive and safe - and it is the standard defined within the IET/IEE wiring regulations. If a contractor chooses to sell a service at a reduced level then they must at least be required to make their offer explicit so that buyers can make informed decisions."
Blanchfield went on to explain the impact that testing less than 100% circuits could have. His view is that electrical safety cannot be dealt with like survey where a proportional sample is believed to be an adequate representative indicator for the whole. He said that circuits that run from the same board can be in very different conditions due to degradation over time or inflicted damage and as the cables are hidden within the fabric of the building it is critical to test every circuit to identify any wiring that may be unsafe.
"Each year about 1000 accidents at work are reported involving electric shock or burns and around 30 of those are fatal, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)," said Blanchfield. "We are constantly campaigning to bring the need for robust and thorough testing to companies and other organisations. That's why it's especially galling that some test suppliers take short cuts and compromise the safety message. We sincerely hope that the
NICEIC will take steps to improve regulation, set mandatory standards and thereby protect clients from being mislead."
For further information on electrical safety testing visit www.epsilontest.com or www.
niceic.com.
About Epsilon Test Services:
Gloucester based Epsilon Test Services was formed in 1993. The company specialises in electrical safety test services; portable appliance testing (PAT), fixed electrical installation testing and thermal imaging. It employs over 140 engineers across the UK, all qualified to City & Guilds 2377 or 2391, and clients include many of the UK's largest facilities management organisations and blue chip companies.
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