Good afternoon,

I'm looking for some information on the requirements to inspect and test the fixed electrical systems on temporary cabins on a construction site.

There is a debate going on that they should be undertaken every 3, 6 or 12 months. I've checked GE700 - C: General Safety - Section 03 Electrical Safety but there is no reference to a schedule of when the cabins should be inspected and tested for electrical safety.

Can anyone assist me with this please.



Best Regards

LR

There is nothing in statute law to specify these timescales.
IET Guidance Note 3 gives recommendations.
It is down to the designer of the installation to use their engineering judgement as the person competent to make this judgement and indicate this on the certification provided, if you are following the requirements of BS7671.

Such portable buildings should be I&T'd upon construction, then issued with an Electrical Installation Certificate, (EIC), which has certain caveats on with regard to the site requirements for the unit added to it potentially.
Once these buildings a sited the electrical supply should again be I&T'd and an EIC provided.
Then the internal wiring within the unit should be subjected to a periodic inspection, and an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) generated.
This will then indicate the time to next inspection for both the supply & the cabin separately.
These may be different timescales.

Typically an annual check could be acceptable, however, depending on the use (and abuse) the unit gets then this could be shortened or extended.
It is unlikely that these sorts of unit require I&T every 3 months.
This is normally restricted to the active construction site due to the ongoing changes that are experienced therein.
I would not expect the periods between EICR’s to be more than 5 years, unless, you have in-house onsite competent electrical persons who undertake all repairs and a robust PPM system is in place to record routine inspections and that any remedial works as a result of these inspections is undertaken appropriately.