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We need to be aware of many rules and regulations within the Electrical Industry. Some rules and regulations are legal requirements that we must comply with, while others are not legally enforceable but give us details on what we must do to comply with the law.
The starting point is the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974, which sets the minimum criteria for safe and healthy working. It places responsibilities on employers, employees, and the self-employed and requires us to consider persons not in a company’s employ. This legislation falls under criminal law and is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). However, authority is delegated to the Local Authority Environmental Health units in low-risk environments. Some specialist units also have enforcement powers.
The Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974 is very general in its requirements but allows, through Section 15, the introduction of Statutory Instruments or Regulations that can deal with industry-specific areas. Such statutory instruments are enforceable by virtue of the Health and Safety at Work Act. Act 1974.
Section 16 of the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974 allows the authorities to provide information that may assist in compliance with the letter of the law. This may be in the form of an Approved Code of Practice or as Guidance. An Approved Code of Practice has a quasi-legal status, whilst Guidance is non-statutory, which means it cannot be used in prosecution.
So why have non-statutory Guidance if you cannot be prosecuted under it? HSE-issued guidance documents are based on statutory instruments and give you the opinions of the enforcing authorities on what they expect you to achieve to comply with the law. By following Guidance, you will be able to demonstrate that you did everything reasonable to comply with the law to discharge your duties.
Does HSE guidance cover every eventuality? The simple answer is no; there is much technical content for electrical installation and systems design and operation, and it would be impossible for the authorities to offer Guidance for every eventuality. Therefore, we refer to international and national standards and industry best practice. This is also non-statutory Guidance, and provided that it originates from a reliable source, it may also be used to help in defence in the unfortunate event of a prosecution being brought for an alleged breach of law.
Which documents do I need to know about when working in the Electrical Industry? There are so many to discuss, including the Building Regulations 2010, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, and the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002; the list goes on. But for the basics, we will focus on general electrical responsibilities and Guidance.
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 Statutory Instrument 1989 No.635.
(Statutory)
Coming into force on the 1st April 1990, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1898 replaced the Electricity (Factories Act) 1908 and 1944, with no provision for the requirements under the regulations to be phased in. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 places no additional burdens on Duty Holders than its Factories Act counterpart, although the simplification of wording made the new regulations much easier to understand, comply with and enforce. Since their introduction, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 have been modified on a number of occasions as the specific requirements for quarries and for mines have been absorbed into other more specific legislation, meaning that their duplication in the Electricity at Work Regulations was unnecessary.
Regulations made within the Electricity at Work Regulations (EWR) are legally enforceable. Some regulations are accompanied with the term ‘where reasonably practicable’, meaning that the risk may be balanced against cost, time, effort and trouble, however there are many regulations within the EWR that do not use such working; these are known as Absolute, and must be complied with irrespective of the inconvenience caused by complying with them.
At this point it is work mentioning that the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 constantly refers to the dangers of electricity; this is defined in Regulation 2 of the EWR as ‘risk of injury’ and injury ‘means death or personal injury from electric shock, electric burn, electrical explosion or arcing, or from fire or explosion initiated by electrical energy, where any such death or injury is associated with the generation, provision, transmission, transformation, rectification, conversion, conduction, distribution, control, storage, measurement or use of electrical energy’.
When considering risk rating, the basic formula is likelihood x severity. With regards to electricity, the most foreseeable outcome is death or life-changing injury which means that in most cases the only controllable aspect is likelihood of an event occurring- and it is this that we have to impose the most effective controls in order to prevent danger occurring.
Help is at hand as the Health and Safety Executive have produces many documents to help us understand what we need to do. These documents can be purchased from the HSE or may be downloaded from the HSE website, free-of-charge.
HSR25 Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Guidance on Regulations.
(Non-Statutory)
Although the front covers of this publication have changed, and guidance on Mines has been removed, the general content of HSR25 has changed little over the years, with corrections mainly being around changes in standards to which it refers and the changes of names of professional bodies who may be consulted for more detailed advice.
Originally called the Memorandum of Guidance HSR25 offers sensible advice on what the Regulations require and the minimum that is necessary to achieve compliance. Although HSR25 is non-statutory, the Regulations to which it refers are a legal requirement. If you fail to adhere to the guidance given, you should be confident that your alternative methods achieve as a minimum, an equivalent level of compliance.
Many employers require their employees to demonstrate their understanding of the EWR, such as attending the Electricity at Work Regulations course.
HSG85 Electricity at Work, Safe Working Practices.
(Non Statutory)
This document offers guidance when undertaking electrical work and considers working on systems that have been made dead, and also when working on or near to systems that are live. In keeping with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 which does not make mention of voltage levels, HSG85 covers work both at Low Voltage and at High Voltage.
The most basic concept of electrical work, be it working dead or undertaking activities on or near to live systems, is that the work must be properly planned in advance, including putting measures in place for when breakdowns and fault-finding is necessary. There will always be a level of preparation that can be undertaken to ensure that work is carried out correctly and people can remain safe at work.
The principles for safe isolation and for proving dead stem from this document.
Those wanting to know more about their responsibilities as a Duty Holder would benefit from attending an Electrical Duty Holders course.
GS 38 Electrical Test Equipment for use on Low Voltage Electrical Systems.
(Non Statutory)
This helpful document looks at using test instruments, particularly when working near to live Low Voltage systems and is the reason for having finger guards and shrouded probes on our test leads. This document tells us what we should be using to prove dead and discourages the use of multimeters, neon pens and volt-sticks for this purpose. Reading further into this document we are offered advice on setting up a safe test area and precautions that should be taken to keep us safe whist working near to live electrical systems.
BS 7671 is currently undergoing a review and is likely to be issued with Amendment 3 in the early part of 2026. This document is jointly produced by the Institution for Engineering and Technology (IET) and the British Standards Institute (BSI). The standard is based on European Norms (ENs), which in turn are formed around International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) standards.
BS 7671, formally the IEE Wiring Regulations have evolved since the late 1880’s and is intended to allow electrical systems operating below high voltage to be properly designed and installed. This is the go-to standard for any electrical installation work and is supplemented by eight Guidance Notes and an On-site Guide. Anyone involved in electrical installations should have a working knowledge of BS 7671, with most employers requiring electricians to hold a relevant and up-to-date qualification to demonstrate this such as the City & Guilds Level 3 Award in the Requirements for Electrical Installations (2382-22).
It should be noted that there is no requirement to bring electrical installations complying with a previous version of BS 7671 or the IEE Wiring Regulations in line with the current Edition, provided that the minimum standards set by the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 are still being met. However, any new electrical work, including alterations and additions to an existing electrical installation should comply with the current Edition of BS 7671.
BS EN 60204-1:2018 Safety of Machinery. Electrical equipment of machines.
(Non Statutory)
Based on IEC 60204, this standard sets out the minimum criteria for the electrical aspects of machines and applies to control panels and field wiring. Within factories and commercial spaces, this standard takes over where BS 7671 leaves off. It is important to understand that there is a difference between electrical installation, and electrical wiring associated with plant and equipment, and although the basic principles might remain unchanged, how we achieve compliance may differ.
Those wishing to gain a better understanding of the safety systems associated with electrical equipment with reference to the EWR and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) may wish to attend the Guarding Machinery and Emergency Stop Systems course.
IET Code of Practice for the In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment.
(Non-Statutory)
Now in its 5th Edition, this Code of Practice offers detailed guidance on the inspection, testing and documentation of inspecting and testing electrical equipment that is put into service. Incorrectly referred to as Portable Appliance Testing (PAT), this document describes the visual inspection and the inspection and testing routines that should be adopted to help Duty Holders determine if equipment is safe for continued use and that they are able to demonstrate that electrical maintenance is sufficient. The document sets out what a good inspection and test programme looks like and how best to achieve compliance with the law.
Those who undertake in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment should be familiar with this publication, and many employers will require those undertaking this work to hold a suitable qualification, such as the City & Guilds Level 3 Award in the In-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment (2377-77).
Guidance Note 3, Inspection and Testing
Published by the IET Guidance Note 3 offers guidance on the inspection, testing and documentation of fixed electrical installations and covers both initial verification (certification of new works including alterations and additions to an existing electrical installation) and periodic inspection and testing (reporting on the condition of an existing electrical installation and its suitability for continued use).
This is the go-to publication for those who undertake electrical installation work, and many employers will require its employees to hold a suitable qualification such as the City & Guilds Level 3 Award in the Inspection, Testing and Documentation of Electrical Installations (2391-52).
Best Practice Guide 2- Safe Isolation
(Non Statutory)
Published by Electrical Safety First, this collaborative guidance document offers best practice guidance on the safe isolation of low voltage electrical systems and proving dead. The document is available for free download from the Electrical Safety First website and can assist those who undertake safe isolation activities as part of their working day.
Many employers require their employees to demonstrate their capabilities in safe isolation, such as attending the Safe Isolation of Electrical Energy and Proving Dead course.
