Legal binding document?

[stef]

Evening girls and guys,
could you shed some light on this, please? is an EIC or any electrical test certificate a legal binding document?
How long must they be kept on records, esp in paper form? I work on an industrial premises and going through
the process of periodic inspections, no initial records were found on site (as ususal)
The same thing is with the PAT register, RCD tests, Emergency lights, ...:dizzy2:

Thank you all.

 

[whaler]

Have you got the bgb or gn3?

 

[stef]

Yeah I have, but explain this to someone without inside knowledge if they can't read 'YOU MUST NOT
THROW AWAY TEST CERTIFICATES ...' they won't have it. Thin is I start working in circles here.
A manager with previous 'FBI' and 'MOD' experience thinks he can make up his own rules.
What I am after is some sort of simple legal statement which say what the score is and possible consequences. Thanks for the reply though.

 

[whaler]

I'm sorry I dont know what "FBI and MOD experience" is refering to?
Tell Him If he doesn't have current period inspection report and test results his insurance on the property will be invalid in the event of something happening! tell him to check his small print or phone his insurance company!

 

[stef]

I didn't think of the insurance. Very good!!!

With FBI and MOD experience: this person is one of those who knows it all, done it all (but can't prove it)

 

[Richard Burns]

The information for the recipient on the certificates / reports states that they must be shown to any person undertaking electrical work in the future, therefore by implication the paperwork must still be available in the future and must be retained.

If you do not have paperwork for any electrical changes then future work could be delayed and cost more as time is taken to determine the nature of the changes. If a property transfers ownership and there are no records then the cost of verifying the installation may end up on the original owner.
Without records there is no way to tell if a fault is developing slowly or has occurred rapidly and preventative action may not be able to be taken.

In signing the declaration on the forms you are accepting responsibility for your installation work and its compliance with BS7671. A signature is a legally acceptable way of determining identity and the declaration stands by itself.

Whether the paperwork is "legally binding" is not possible to say as there is no contract created by the paperwork. The Guide to the building regulations states that paperwork generated for the electrician must be retained by the electrician for three years.

Overall good idea to keep the paperwork but if you do not then proving the work was OK at the time may cause difficulties.

 

[whaler]

read Pg 61 of gn3 sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3, regulation 4(2) of the electricity at work regulations 1989, which is a statutory document i.e a legal document clearly answers your question.
if this helps you now, click the thanks button cheers

 

[Engineer54]

Not sure if this helps you in any way, but if you are working within a contractual project with a contract specification that includes a testing/commissioning section, that mentions/stipulates testing record/report sheets. Then the completed report sheets will become very legally binding very quickly!! Contractual law is probably the strongest form of legal paperwork you will ever encounter... lol!!!

As others have mentioned, insurance companies base their cover and premiums on such information and can withdraw their cover at any time if the required information is not available for their assessment!!