Posted By Adrian Clifton Esteemed colleagues I am looking for information on the frequency of fixed wiring installations testing within Leisure Centres.I understand that the frequency is different from office buildings (every 5 years?), possibly due to footfall within the premises. Can anyone point me in the right direction please? Adrian

Posted By Ashley Williams From memory a full test is required yearly with 6 monthly inspections. Ash

Posted By Ashley Williams Right I've had a look and i quoted swimming pools earlier which is 4 monthly routine check and a yearly maximum period between inspections and testing. For a leisure centre it is classed as a building open to the public if it does not include a swimming pool and should be routine inspections yearly and 3 year maximum period between inspections and testing. Ash

Posted By Paul Leadbetter Bunny Have you seen the latest version of the IEE Regs? See thread referred to above. Timescales have been removed and it is now down to risk assessment. Paul

Posted By Adrian Clifton Many thanks to all who have replied. Your help and advice is always welcome (thank goodness for our chat forum). As the centres concerned contain swimming pools, showers and the like, I will go with yearly testing. Why do they have to move things from black and white to a distinct shade of grey. Not good for my hair loss problems. Again, my thanks to you all and keep up the good advice. Adrian

Posted By Is Kismet Hi Paul I can't see any reference to periodicity in amendment 2 (2004), and the reference you gave just puts me round in a circle. Even if they dropped it, surely they would give some guidance on intervals between inspections?

Posted By Is Kismet Does that mean that nothing has changed then, in terms of guidance on periodic inspections? Paul, where did you get your information from about the change?

Posted By Paul Leadbetter Like many advisors, I had always assumed that the 16th edition Wiring Regs specified the intervals for inspection and testing of fixed installations. Concerned that I was only working from hearsay, I finally bought a copy of the Regs (£94!) only to discover that no intervals were specified. I assumed, therefore, that the intervals had been removed by one of the amendments. Thank you, Russell, for pointing out that the intervals were never specified in the Regs but in an accompanying guidance note which I have also now bought (another £22 - but at least in tells me what I want to know). I offer my apologies to anyone misled by my posting, which demonstrates the folly of working from hearsay; if you need to know the recommended intervals for inspection and testing of fixed installations, treat yourself to a copy of guidance note 3. Paul

Posted By MSE Could I also add that the actual frequency will depend on the outcome of the inspection. For instance the Inspector will (or should) use the suggested table in GN3 as a starting point only for considering the timeframe applicable to the next inspection. This can be modified according to: 1. What state the installation is found to be in - if poor, or requiring sinificant follow-up work, then you can reasonably expect the timeframe to be reduced; 2. What information is made available to the Inspector. Technically, this should include diagrams, specifications, etc. from the design and build stage. Also previous Insection and Test result schedules and reports. This rarely occurs and may affect the Inspectors confidence in investigating the totality of the installation; 3. Consideration of the environment and use the installation is being put to; 4. Crucially, the onus is on the person ordering the inspection to define the scope and limitations applying to the inspection. For instance, if the purpose of the inspection is to give the installation a quick once over prior to change of ownership, then it would be unreasonable to expect the Inspector to agree to the full term suggested in GN3. The problem here is that a rigorous inspection will cost more and may possibly be more likely to find faults. However, a codicil is usually added to the report that if the faults found are attended to, then the duration until re-inspection should be...etc. You can expect short thrift if you try to order the work along the lines of "We want a quick inspection of such-and-such with a duration of five years until re-inspection". This is for the Inspector to judge!; 5. It should also be borne in mind that the frequency in GN3 should really only apply to the first periodic inspection after construction/installation. As it ages, in most cases it should be reasonable to expect that frequecy to alter. One further point. There is actually no requirement to have a programme of Periodic Inpections AT ALL! If you can demonstrate a sound and rigorous management system of electrical maintenance, record your work and testing results with people competent to do so, then this satisfies the requirements of BS7671. Food for thought perhaps, sorry if it muddies water that might just have been beginning to clear!!