If you are experiencing frequent tripping of fuses, overheating of appliances, flickering or burning out of light bulbs, or an increase in the utility bill, the underlying cause could be poor electrical installation.
Quality of wiring and electrical installation that conforms to safety codes are vital for safety as they can increase the chance of fire, electric shocks, arc faults, and other serious consequences. Therefore, having your installation checked by a professional engineer and getting an EICR report helps identify and mitigate the problem.
Care Labs provides testing and inspection service for your company in New Zealand. This electrical condition installation report will include extensive quality inspections, testing, and conformity to the regulations issued by New Zealand Standards Organization (NZSO).
What is an EICR?
EICR stands for Electrical Inspection Condition Report. Previously it was called ‘fixed wire testing’ and occasionally it is also referred to as an ‘Electrical Safety Certificate’. To assess the safety, efficiency, and reliability of an electrical installation EICR is carried out.
Do I need an Electrical Installation Condition Report in New Zealand?
If you own a business, office, or property, it must be your prime responsibility to legally safeguard the safety of employees, customers, and tenants. Outdated electrical installations, faulty and malfunctioning equipment may not only cause electrical shock but also risk fire hazards.
WorkSafe reports that about half (55 percent) of incidents in New Zealand occurred within the residential setting. 16% of commercial accidents occurred and a similar percentage (17%) took place within the workplace.
Domestic accidents accounted for 28 of the 48 death accidents and 126 of the 238 injury incidents. Workplace accidents accounted for 10 of the 48 fatalities and 42 of the 238 injury accidents. Thus, it is always a best practice to carry out EICR certification for the safety of you, your employees, and your assets.
Importance of Electrical Condition Installation Report in New Zealand
Few factors that assure a safe and reliable operation of an electrical installation are:
- Quality equipment procurement
- Efficiently designed electrical system
- Compliance with the codes, standards, and regulations
- Installation performed by qualified contractors.
- Verification and testing after installation
- Proper documentation of all installation details for future requirements.
If these basic requirements are not met, the installation is poorly designed and performed by unqualified contractor’s there is a high risk of electrical hazards.
Thus, it is a wise choice to get an Electrical Installation Condition Report before you incur a personal or financial loss due to a poorly installed electrical system.
How Often Do I Get my EICR Inspection Done?
Here are a few visible signs indicating that your inspection must be done right away:
- Regular fuse and the circuit breaker tripping
- The appearance of sparks
- Spotting or light dimming
- Excessive heat release from cables, switches, and outlets
- Electric humming and burning smell
- Flickering or dimming of light
Often wires are hidden inside walls, and equipment is placed so that it is not immediately visible. Hence, we often overlook to check whether there are damages or signs of wear and tear in our electric facilities.
Regardless of the age of your power supply, it is likely to suffer some damage since the time of installation. Follow the below guide to know how often to get an EICR.
If you are experiencing frequent tripping of fuses, overheating of appliances, flickering or burning out of light bulbs, or an increase in the utility bill, the underlying cause could be poor electrical installation.
Quality of wiring and electrical installation that conforms to safety codes are vital for safety as they can increase the chance of fire, electric shocks, arc faults, and other serious consequences. Therefore, having your installation checked by a professional engineer and getting an EICR report helps identify and mitigate the problem.
Care Labs provides testing and inspection service for your company in New Zealand. This electrical condition installation report will include extensive quality inspections, testing, and conformity to the regulations issued by New Zealand Standards Organization (NZSO).
What is an EICR?
EICR stands for Electrical Inspection Condition Report. Previously it was called ‘fixed wire testing’ and occasionally it is also referred to as an ‘Electrical Safety Certificate’. To assess the safety, efficiency, and reliability of an electrical installation EICR is carried out.
Do I need an Electrical Installation Condition Report in New Zealand?
If you own a business, office, or property, it must be your prime responsibility to legally safeguard the safety of employees, customers, and tenants. Outdated electrical installations, faulty and malfunctioning equipment may not only cause electrical shock but also risk fire hazards.
WorkSafe reports that about half (55 percent) of incidents in New Zealand occurred within the residential setting. 16% of commercial accidents occurred and a similar percentage (17%) took place within the workplace.
Domestic accidents accounted for 28 of the 48 death accidents and 126 of the 238 injury incidents. Workplace accidents accounted for 10 of the 48 fatalities and 42 of the 238 injury accidents. Thus, it is always a best practice to carry out EICR certification for the safety of you, your employees, and your assets.
Importance of Electrical Condition Installation Report in New Zealand
Few factors that assure a safe and reliable operation of an electrical installation are:
- Quality equipment procurement
- Efficiently designed electrical system
- Compliance with the codes, standards, and regulations
- Installation performed by qualified contractors.
- Verification and testing after installation
- Proper documentation of all installation details for future requirements.
If these basic requirements are not met, the installation is poorly designed and performed by unqualified contractor’s there is a high risk of electrical hazards.
Thus, it is a wise choice to get an Electrical Installation Condition Report before you incur a personal or financial loss due to a poorly installed electrical system.
How Often Do I Get my EICR Inspection Done?
Here are a few visible signs indicating that your inspection must be done right away:
- Regular fuse and the circuit breaker tripping
- The appearance of sparks
- Spotting or light dimming
- Excessive heat release from cables, switches, and outlets
- Electric humming and burning smell
- Flickering or dimming of light
Often wires are hidden inside walls, and equipment is placed so that it is not immediately visible. Hence, we often overlook to check whether there are damages or signs of wear and tear in our electric facilities.
Regardless of the age of your power supply, it is likely to suffer some damage since the time of installation. Follow the below guide to know how often to get an EICR.
Figure. When to get an Electrical Inspection Condition Report
It is also highly recommended to carry our EICR once every 5 years whenever there is an addition or expansion of the electrical system.
Electrical Installation Condition Report in New Zealand by Care Labs Gives Insights On:
- The condition, reliability, and safe operation of electrical installations.
- Risks involved with the electrical installation.
- Presence of any faulty or damaged component inside the electrical installation.
- Recommendations to further enhance installation safety and dependability.
Tests performed under EICR are as follows and are not limited to:
- Checking for protection against electric fires and electric shocks.
- Dielectric Voltage-withstand Test – HiPot test
- Ensure earthing is continuous throughout the electrical system.
- Ensure all bonding conductors are in place and effective.
- Insulation resistance check
- Polarity check
- Earth electrode resistance check
- Residual current device (RCD) testing
- Functional testing of circuit breakers and isolators
After completion, a detailed Electrical Installation Condition Report is supplied. It includes guidance notes and schedule of inspection & schedule of test results.
An Electrical Installation Condition Report in New Zealand is a better and safer option to spot underlying electrical faults. Our engineers at Care Labs provide the best comprehensive EICR certification. Our objective is to help our clients to manage their assets more effectively, with fewer failures and outages, increased safety and reliability.
Care Labs offers its services across New Zealand including Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Otago. Book your EICR or get a quote today!
