Electrical contractor compliance checklist
The documents, certifications and insurance every electrical contractor needs to work commercially in the UK.
Electrical contractors face some of the strictest compliance requirements of any trade in the UK. Working on commercial, industrial or domestic projects without the right certifications and registrations carries serious legal risk — and most principal contractors and clients will carry out thorough checks before allowing you on site.
Competent person scheme registration
Electrical installation work in dwellings is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations. To self-certify your own work without involving building control, you must be registered with a government-approved competent person scheme:
- NICEIC — National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting. The most widely recognised scheme for electrical contractors.
- NAPIT — an alternative to NICEIC, widely accepted
- ELECSA — particularly recognised in the domestic sector
- SELECT — Scotland's equivalent scheme
Registration must be current and renewed annually. Many commercial clients and principal contractors require NICEIC or equivalent as a condition of their approved contractor list.
Insurance
- Public liability insurance — minimum £2 million, most commercial clients require £5 million or more
- Employers' liability insurance — minimum £5 million, legally required if you employ anyone
- Professional indemnity insurance — required for design and specification work
- Tools and equipment insurance — covers your test equipment, tools and plant
Accreditation
- CHAS or SMAS — SSIP health and safety pre-qualification, required by most commercial clients. Complys helps you maintain the documents needed to obtain and renew these.
- Constructionline — increasingly required for public sector work
- ISO 9001 — quality management, required by some larger clients
Operative qualifications and cards
- City & Guilds 2382 — 18th Edition Wiring Regulations. Must be current (renewed every 5 years).
- City & Guilds 2391 or 2394/2395 — Inspection and Testing qualification
- ECS card — Electrotechnical Certification Scheme card, the electrical equivalent of CSCS. Required for site access on most commercial sites.
- IPAF card — if operatives use powered access equipment
- Asbestos awareness training — required for any work where asbestos may be encountered
- First aid at work certificate — at least one person on site
Health and safety documents
- Written health and safety policy
- Electrical-specific risk assessments (live working, isolation procedures, working at height)
- Site-specific RAMS for each project
- Isolation and lock-off procedures
- Toolbox talk records
- Accident and near miss records
Certification and testing records
- Electrical Installation Certificates (EIC) for new installations
- Minor Works Certificates for small additions or alterations
- Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR) for inspection work
- Test results and schedules of circuit details
Compliance checklist summary
- ✓ NICEIC, NAPIT or equivalent competent person scheme registration (current)
- ✓ Public liability insurance (min £5m for commercial work)
- ✓ Employers' liability insurance (min £5m)
- ✓ CHAS or SMAS accreditation
- ✓ 18th Edition (2382) qualification for all operatives (current)
- ✓ Inspection and Testing qualification (2391/2394/2395)
- ✓ ECS cards for all operatives
- ✓ Asbestos awareness training records
- ✓ First aid certificate on site
- ✓ Site-specific RAMS
- ✓ Isolation and lock-off procedures
- ✓ Right to work evidence for all employees
Store your NICEIC registration, insurance, operative cards and RAMS in one place. Get automatic alerts before anything expires.