Commercial electrical testing is an important part of running any business and this is especially true for businesses which are heavily used by members of the public. Buildings such as hotels are often in use around the clock, with large-scale electrical systems which are subject to wear, tear, corrosion, overloading and a whole host of other factors which could lead to deterioration and eventual faults. As guests are also regularly using the electrics in individual hotel rooms, you will want to regularly check they have been used correctly and are fit for purpose. Electrical testing for hotels is therefore vital. Regular electrical testing by qualified electricians in the form of an Electrical Installation Condition Report is a simple and robust way to get your hotel electrics checked. There are number of reasons why testing for hotels is important. Here are just five of them.
1. Safety, safety, safety – protecting your customers and staff from serious injury or death
The safety of guests and employees should be paramount to any hotel owner. Regular electrical testing will provide peace of mind that measures have been taken to ensure your hotel is safe – and it’s difficult to put a price on that. Injuries and deaths in the workplace are unfortunately all too common, but you can reduce the risk of electrical shocks, fires and accidents by ensuring your electrics are periodically inspected. This is not to mention the cost of a fire or serious accident which could have been avoided.
2. Compliance – meeting your electrical safety obligations
There are various laws which require hotel owners to carry out risk assessments and take appropriate measures to prevent accidents, including:
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 which states that employers are responsible for the health and safety of their employees in the workplace
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 which require precautions to be taken against the risk of death or personal injury from electricity used as part of work activities
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regularly prosecutes businesses which fail to protect employees from electrical injuries at work.
An EICR helps you fulfil your obligations by providing documented proof that your electrics have been thoroughly inspected. This can be crucial in the event of any accidents that are investigated by the HSE. Electrical safety regulations for hotels are often enforced by local authority inspectors.
3. Insurance – making sure your insurance pays out in the event of a claim
Insurance companies are increasingly requesting that electrical testing is carried out and evidenced on a regular basis as part of your policy agreement. Requirements such as this should be detailed in your policy, so it’s important to make sure you have thoroughly read and understood it.
Whether your insurance will pay out in the event of a claim related to an electrical incident depends on the terms of your policy and whether you have met those terms. This may include being able to prove robust processes for checking your electrics are safe – such as an EICR certificate – and that the incident was therefore unavoidable.
4. Saving money – how electrical inspection can save your hotel money
As well as making sure your electrics are safe, getting an EICR-trained and qualified electrician to inspect your installations could even save you money. The EICR tests systems and identifies faults. It could be, for example, that you have an overloaded circuit, or a piece of equipment that is overheating and is therefore wasting energy and costing you money. An EICR report can make recommendations for efficiency improvements that you hadn’t thought of or didn’t realize were necessary.
5. Energy efficiency – saving money and doing your bit for the environment
Further to saving money by having equipment that is functioning correctly, a decent electrical company, such as RJA Electrical Services Ltd, can also make recommendations for energy efficiency improvements. This could include LED lighting and smart heating solutions which can add up to significant savings across an entire hotel. In addition to cutting costs, reducing energy consumption is a great way of boosting your hotel’s carbon footprint in line with your corporate social responsibility commitments.
At RJA Electrical Services Ltd, all our engineers are trained to City & Guilds and Testing Level, specifically for the periodic testing and inspection of electrical installations. We have extensive experience when it comes to electrical testing for hotels, B&Bs and guest houses.
For more information about an EICR for hotels, please contact us.
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