Electrical Safety at Work in Ireland: Employer Guide to the 2007 Regulations

Electrical safety at work in Ireland is governed by Part 3 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 299 of 2007). Part 3 covers regulations 74 to 93. It applies to anyone who designs, installs, maintains, uses or controls an electrical installation at a place of work, so it reaches well beyond electricians and building sites. If you employ people in a Dublin office, a clinic, a shop or a warehouse and there is an electrical installation at the workplace, Part 3 is likely to be relevant to you, applying 'as appropriate'. This guide sets out what the Regulations and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) say, and where they deliberately leave the detail to you. For the wider picture, see our overview of the General Application Regulations 2007.

What Part 3 covers and who it applies to

Regulation 75, as shown on the Revised Acts site, applies Part 3 "as appropriate" to people who design, install, maintain, use or control an electrical installation or an electrical network at a place of work. Two things are excluded: electrical equipment or installations used exclusively for electrical testing or research, and medical electrical equipment. Even for medical electrical equipment, the regulation still expects users to take adequate precautions to prevent danger.

Regulation 74 defines "danger" as the risk of injury from electric shock, electric burn, electrical explosion or arcing, from fire or explosion caused by electricity, or from the mechanical movement of electrically driven equipment. Preventing danger is judged "so far as is reasonably practicable". That definition is wider than shock alone, and it is worth remembering when you assess overloaded sockets, damaged cables or poorly maintained equipment.

Regulation 89(b) was substituted by S.I. No. 732 of 2007 with effect from 12 November 2007, and the Revised Acts pages link to a list of amendments on the Irish Statute Book. Check that list for the current position.

The core duties on employers

The HSA's own guide to Part 3 (published December 2007) summarises the main duties regulation by regulation. In plain terms, employers must make sure that:

• Equipment is suitable. Electrical equipment must be designed, built, installed, maintained, protected and used so as to prevent danger (regulation 76), and built and protected for harsh conditions such as wet, dusty, corrosive or flammable environments (regulation 77).
• Live parts are protected. Parts that could cause danger must be insulated, covered or otherwise protected, for example by barriers or by being out of reach (regulation 79), and precautions such as earthing must deal with fault conditions (regulation 80).
• Circuits can be isolated. Where necessary there must be a means to switch off and isolate equipment, and circuits should be identifiable (regulations 78 and 85).
• Overcurrent protection is in place. This means effective protection such as fuses or circuit breakers (regulation 83).
• Space, access and lighting are adequate where work may cause danger. The HSA guide notes that emergency lighting must be fitted in all switch rooms (regulation 87).

Our suggestion: for a typical office or service business, turn this list into a short checklist covering the main switchboard and distribution boards, socket and extension-lead use, damaged cables or fittings, labelling of circuits and whether anyone has reported a problem. Then record the result in your risk assessment, as described in our guide to the safety statement and risk assessment under the 2005 Act.

Who may carry out electrical work

Regulation 88 says that work requiring technical knowledge or experience to prevent danger may be done only by a person who has that knowledge and experience, or who is under appropriate supervision having regard to the nature of the work. The HSA guide states that the primary obligation on employers is in all cases to provide competent persons to carry out electrical work.

The HSA guide describes competence as including adequate knowledge of electricity, adequate experience of electrical work, and the ability to recognise at all times whether it is safe for the work to continue. It adds that employees working with dangerous equipment must be trained and instructed in the relevant safety procedures, and that supervisors need the necessary technical knowledge. Where the arrangements are complex, the guide says supervisors' responsibilities should be set out in writing.

The Regulations also use the term "authorised person" in Part 3. Regulation 74 defines it as a person who is competent for the purposes of the Part, who is an employer, a self-employed person or an employee appointed or selected by one of them, and who is engaged in certain work connected with electrical energy, such as generating, transmitting, distributing, measuring or using it.

The pages we read do not set out a registration scheme or list who may legally do particular jobs beyond this competence test. The HSA's procedural guidelines for working on electrical installations likewise say workers must be competent and do not mention a registration scheme. We have therefore not described any registration rules here. If you are unsure whether a contractor is suitable, ask the HSA or a competent electrical professional, and keep a record of the checks you made.

Safe working on electrical equipment

Regulation 86 requires that work on electrical equipment is carried out so as to prevent danger. Where appropriate, equipment must be made dead before work starts, with adequate precautions against it becoming live while the work goes on. Working on or near a live part, unless it is suitably insulated, is permitted only if all three conditions are met: making it dead is unreasonable in the circumstances, it is reasonable for the person to work on or near it live, and suitable precautions are taken, including protective equipment where necessary. Any protective equipment provided must be suitable, kept in a suitable condition and properly used.

The HSA's procedural guidelines chart sets out the practical steps that follow from this: select and instruct competent workers, isolate the supply, secure it against reconnection by retaining lock-out keys and posting notices, prove the circuit dead before starting, issue a permit to work where necessary, restrict access to live work areas, and obtain a sign-off when the job is finished. The chart is undated on the page we read.

Inspection, testing and maintenance

Regulation 89 is the key provision on inspection. According to the HSA guide, new installations and major alterations must be inspected and tested by a competent person after completion, and a report of the test must be completed. Existing installations must be tested by a competent person from time to time where required, having regard to the nature, location and use of the installation. The employer must act on advice about further testing and rectify defects promptly so as to prevent danger.

Does the law set a fixed interval?

No, not for most workplaces. The HSA's guidance note on periodic inspection and testing of electrical installations (Revision 1, dated 30 October 2014) says the legislation sets no fixed intervals for most workplaces. It states that the frequency should be based on a risk assessment, taking account of factors such as the age and quality of the installation, environmental conditions, who uses it, the level of supervision, manufacturer guidance and the potential for damage. The only fixed intervals it mentions come from separate dangerous substances rules for petroleum storage and oil jetties.

The note does include a table of suggested, non-binding intervals. For example, it suggests visual checks generally every year, and full inspection and testing generally every five years for offices, shops, hospitals and schools. It also says intervals may be longer for a newly certified installation in good condition, and that RCDs should be push-button tested at least twice a year. That guidance is from 2014, so check the current figure on the official page before relying on any number.

Records

The HSA guide says that, in addition to the certificate, the employer must retain test record sheets containing the results of tests, and that maintenance records help you monitor upkeep. The 2014 guidance note says installation condition reports for permanent installations should be kept for at least ten years. The HSA's 2007 guide adds that certification in accordance with the requirements of the Electro-Technical Council of Ireland (ETCI) Rules will be deemed to meet the certification requirement. Our suggestion: keep certificates, test reports and a log of repairs together in one place that the person responsible for premises can find quickly.

Portable equipment, briefly

Regulation 81 deals with portable equipment, and the HSA guide says it must be maintained fit for safe use, with periodic inspection by a competent person where it is exposed to deterioration and supplied above 125 V AC. Unsafe equipment must not be used until made safe. Employees should report defects to their supervisor rather than carry on using damaged equipment. We cover this separately, so this post does not go further into portable appliance checks.

Incidents and next steps

If an electrical incident causes injury or a dangerous occurrence, you will need to consider whether it must be reported. Our guide to accident and dangerous occurrence reporting to the HSA explains the process. We have not set out reporting thresholds here because we did not verify them for this article.

A practical approach for employers: appoint someone to own electrical safety, confirm that the person doing any electrical work is competent, put an inspection and testing frequency in writing with the risk-assessment reasoning behind it, and fix defects promptly.

Learnsignal's offices are off Baggot Street in Dublin, and we offer in-person training from there. For current details, see our CPD pages.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a legal requirement to test a workplace electrical installation every five years?

The HSA's 2014 guidance note says the legislation sets no fixed interval for most workplaces. Regulation 89 requires testing by a competent person from time to time, having regard to the nature, location and use of the installation. The five-year figure appears in the note as a suggested, non-binding interval, so set your frequency by risk assessment and check the current figure on the official page.

Can a member of staff do minor electrical work?

Regulation 88 allows work needing technical knowledge only by someone who is competent, or who is appropriately supervised. The HSA guide describes competence in terms of knowledge of electricity, experience and the ability to recognise when it is unsafe to continue. If a staff member does not meet that description, the work should go to someone who does.

Does Part 3 apply to offices?

Generally, yes. Regulation 75 applies Part 3, as appropriate, to people who design, install, maintain, use or control an electrical installation at a place of work. Offices are places of work, and the main exclusions are testing or research equipment and medical electrical equipment.

Who keeps the test records?

The HSA guide says the employer must retain test record sheets with the results of tests, in addition to the certificate. Keep them where they can be shown to a competent person who later inspects the installation.

Electrical risks are easy to overlook until something fails, so a short, documented routine is usually the best protection for your people and your business.