EICR Coding Guide

The most often asked questions amongst electricians are regarding what EICR code should be assigned to an item when found on an inspection.

Sadly, there is no single official IET BS7671 ‘EICR coding guide’, and as such there can often be a lot of misinformation (and misinterpretation) of the requirements. This doesn’t help electricians and it certainly doesn’t help customers, who are often left thinking that the electrician in question can be making things up as they go along, especially in the case of items being unsatisfactory.

There are 2 documents in particular which attempt to address this:

• Electrical Safety First : Best Practise Guide 4 – A short, but very concise guide written by the UKs electrical safety charity. Co-written by all the big names in the industry, including NICEIC, NAPIT, IET & many more. For me, this is the closest we come to an official EICR coding guide
• NAPIT : Codebreakers – A slightly more in depth book, however written only by NAPIT themselves. Although much of the advice correlates with that in BPG4 above, there are a few areas where codebreakers tends to be a little more ‘strict’ in it’s coding.

It is worth mentioning, that all EICR coding is the responsibility of the electrician completing the report at the time. Whilst this guide (and others such as BPG 4 & codebreakers) exist, they cannot cover every eventuality and there are instances where a different code may be appropriate. EICR testing should only be undertaken by those with adequate qualifications and expertise, together with appropriate professional indemnity insurance.

1.0: External condition of intake equipment (visual inspection only)

1.1: Service Cable

** It should be noted that wherever there is any doubt over the condition of the condition of the service cable, the best course of action is always to consult the DNO **

Our full guide to 1.1 Condition Of Service Cable inspections

1.2: Service Head

** It should be noted that wherever there is any doubt over the condition of the condition of the service head, the best course of action is always to consult the DNO **

Our full guide to 1.2 Condition Of Service Head inspections

1.3: Earthing Arrangement

** It should be noted that wherever there is any doubt over the condition of the condition of the Distributors Earthing Arrangement (only in the instance of TN-S or TN-C-S supplies), the best course of action is always to consult the DNO

Our full guide to 1.3 Condition Of Earthing Arrangement inspections

1.4: Meter Tails

Our full guide to 1.4 Condition Of Meter Tail inspections

1.5: Metering Equipment

** It should be noted that wherever there is any doubt over the condition of the condition of the Metering Equipment, the best course of action is always to consult the Electricity Supplier. They have a different set of regulations and complete coverage of any issue is beyond the scope of this EICR coding guide **

Our full guide to 1.5 Condition Of Metering Equipment inspections

1.6: Isolator (Where Present)

2.0: Presence Of Adequate Arrangements For Parallel Or Switched Alternative Sources

2.1: Adequate arrangements where a generating set operates as a switched alternative to the public supply

2.2: Adequate arrangements where a generating set operates in parallel with the public supply

3.0: Automatic Disconnection Of Supply

3.1.1: Presence of distributor’s earthing arrangement, or presence of installation earth electrode arrangement

3.1.2: Adequacy of earthing conductor size

3.1.3: Adequacy of earthing conductor connections

3.1.4: Accessibility of earthing conductor connections

3.1.5: Adequacy of main protective bonding conductor sizes

3.1.6: Adequacy and location of main protective bonding conductor connections

3.1.7: Accessibility of all protective bonding connections

3.1.8: Provision of earthing/bonding labels at all appropriate locations

Our full guide to 3.1.8 Presence Of Earthing & Bonding Label inspections

3.2: FELV – requirements satisfied

Further EICR Coding Resources

If you need any further help after following our EICR coding guide (we hope it was in depth enough for you!), then you can always check the following external resources:

• Electrical Safety First Best Practise Guide 4 (6th Edition)
• NAPIT Codebreakers Book

Please, if you have any queries, questions, or indeed you don’t agree with any of the coding recommendations laid out in this guide then comment below and we can discuss further.

It is worth mentioning, that all EICR coding is the responsibility of the electrician completing the report at the time. Whilst this guide (and others such as BPG 4 & codebreakers) exist, they cannot cover every eventuality and there are instances where a different code may be appropriate. EICR testing should only be undertaken by those with adequate qualifications and expertise, together with appropriate professional indemnity insurance.