Electrical Safety Policy

1. Introduction

1.3. The main hazards are contact with exposed live parts, faults which could cause fires and fire or explosion where electricity could be the main source of ignition.

1.4. B3Living is committed to ensuring the safety of its employees and residents with regards to electrical installations in our workplaces, owned or managed properties. In particular, we are committed to complying with:

► BS7671 18th Edition of the IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) Wiring Regulations.

► Defective Premises Act 1972 (s.4): Statutory duty of care to customers and anyone reasonably expected to be affected by defective equipment as defined under the Act.

► Landlord and Customer Act 1985 (s.11): Statutory responsibility for repairs to electrical installations.

► The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999: States that we must protect people's health and safety by ensuring risks in the workplace are properly controlled.

► Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, including the memorandum issued by the HSE on this subject HSR25 and their guidance “Electricity at Work: Safe Working Practices” (HSG85).

► Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, including the HSE guidance “Electrical test equipment for use by electricians” (GS38)

► Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (Amendment) regulations 2022

► RoSH Consumer Standards

2. Scope

2.1 B3Living has a duty to provide its customers with accommodation that is safe to occupy including that of electrical safety. In this regard -

► All domestic properties and landlord’s supplies will be tested once every 5 years.

► All workplaces will be tested once every 5 years.

2.2 To achieve this an Electrical Safety Management Plan (ESMP) has been produced detailing the way that this will be carried out.

2.3 This policy applies to all workplaces, all common areas and the general needs and retirement housing properties owned or managed by B3Living.

2.4 This policy sets out the arrangements that B3Living have put in place to manage and control electrical safety.

2.5 The electrical safety procedure sets out the roles and responsibilities within B3Living for managing electrical safety.

2.6 This policy applies to both office staff and Property Services Team electricians and our external contractors. It will be made available to all electricians undertaking any electrical work.

2.7 This document outlines the standards required for electrical safety including inspection, installation, repair, maintenance, and testing.

2.8 For those buildings where B3Living is not a duty holder for electrical safety this policy and associated management plan are out of scope. However, as part of our continuing due diligence B3Living will request electrical safety documentation from the duty holder or its managing agent.

3. Responsibilities

3.1 The Board has responsibility for ensuring this policy and its associated Management Plan are implemented.

3.2 The Chief Executive, through the Executive Director (Operations), is responsible for the effective implementation of the Electrical Safety Policy.

3.3 The day-to-day responsibility for implementing the policy lies with the Head of Asset Management and Compliance and the Head of Repairs in conjunction with the Property Manager (Mechanical and Electrical).

3.4 All employees are responsible for protecting their own health and safety and must comply with the points set out in this policy.

4. Aims and objectives

4.1 The aim of the policy is to:

4.2 Ensure the safety of its employees, customers, and anyone else who may be impacted by our work.

4.3 Our primary objective is to ensure that customers, contractors, colleagues, and visitors remain safe in our premises (both domestic and non-domestic). Failure to properly discharge our legal responsibilities may also result in:

► Prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, or Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007.

► Regulatory intervention by the Regulator of Social Housing (RoSH).

► Reputational damage and loss of stakeholder confidence

4.4 Set out how B3Living will meets its legal obligations.

4.5 Comply with the law so as to avoid prosecution, avoid regulatory judgements and to avoid civil claims.

4.6 The overall aim of this policy is that B3Living will:

► invest in a programme of installation testing and upgrading.
► ensure that all installations are tested and certified prior to letting.
► use NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) or equivalent registered electricians.
► ensure our staff receive regular training.
► undertake regular internal and external audits.
► have clear, regularly reviewed procedures.

4.7 Responsibility for Appliances

4.7.1 Generally, B3Living is not responsible for the safety of customers’ electric cookers or fixed or portable electrical appliances, or installations. There are some minor exceptions to this including some items in Independent Living Schemes, please check with the ILT team for the up-to-date list.

4.7.2 If any installation work has been undertaken by a resident and is found to be defective B3Living will terminate the supply and remove the supply.

4.7.3 We reserve the right to require the resident to put right any damage they cause to the electrical system in their property, or re-charge to put things right including for any re-testing costs.

4.7.4 B3Living will be responsible for any hard-wired appliances that we own.

4.8 Contractor management

4.8.1 All appointed electrical contractors shall be registered with the NICEIC (or equivalent) and shall be registered under a recognised Domestic Installer self-certification scheme in compliance with Part P of the Building Regulations.

4.8.2 The appointed contractor undertaking electrical work will work in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and all other current relevant legislation and approved codes of practice.

4.8.3 Contractor procurement and management will be carried out in line with the B3Living’s policies and procedures.

4.8.4 Contractors will comply with our policies and procedures.

4.9 Electrical Testing and Certification

4.9.1 All properties will have a valid NICEIC (or equivalent) certificate and meet all current statutory requirements. These certificates will be available in a readily accessible format and will be passed to the contractor prior to any works being undertaken.

4.9.2 Remedial Work – If a property is tested as unsatisfactory a follow on for remedial work will be carried out. C1’s will be done immediately while on site, the majority of C2’s will be done immediately and if any follow-on work required this will be completed at a later date, subject to access but generally within 28 days of identification.

4.9.3 Completed certificates will be stored on the NICEIC portal and in SharePoint.

4.9.4 It is our intention that each property included within the electrical upgrade programme be upgraded as far as is practical, in a cost-effective manner, so as to comply with the current version of BS7671 (IET Wiring Regulations) and Part P of the Building Regulations, resulting in the issue of a Satisfactory Periodic Inspection Report (PIR), an appropriate electrical test certificate or a Building Regulations compliance certificate.

4.10 Responsive Repairs and Planned Maintenance

4.10.1 Electrical repairs are reported to the Property Services Team and an electrician appointed to undertake the scheduled repairs or test in accordance with the allocated response time.

4.10.2 Where available a copy of the most current electrical certificate will be made available to the test engineer.

4.10.3 A valid NICEIC (or equivalent) certificate will be issued following the completion of any works or alterations that have an effect upon the electrical installation in a property.

4.10.4 Residents are responsible for any repairs relating to damage they have caused with faulty self-installed appliances and wiring.

4.11 New Build Developments, Acquisitions, Voids, and Mutual Exchanges

4.11.1 All new build homes to be handed over by Development department with the appropriate test certificates.

4.11.2 All properties to be acquired are to receive an Electrical Installation Condition Report prior to handover.

4.11.3 All voids will have an electrical test carried out before re-letting. All properties will be let with a minimum standard of electrical fittings and fixtures.

4.11.4 All properties undergoing a mutual exchange will have an electrical test completed.

4.12 Portable Appliances

4.12.1 A portable appliance means any equipment that is intended to be connected to a generator or a fixed installation by means of a flexible cable and either a plug and socket or spur box.

4.12.2 Generally, this is equipment that is intended to be moved whilst in operation and is handheld or hand operated or an appliance which can easily be moved from one place to another. This also includes items that are plugged into a socket but are moved infrequently.

4.12.3 B3Living is only responsible for portable appliances supplied by us in resident’s properties. Residents are responsible for the portable appliances they own within the property.

4.12.4 B3Living is responsible for PAT testing in its workplaces and for equipment used by its employees.

4.12.5 B3Living will keep records of all checks made and related observations.

4.12.6 A risk assessment has been completed and the following testing will be carried out:

► A formal visual inspection will be carried out on office equipment every 2-4 years and a combined test and inspection every 5 years.
► Equipment used by Repairs operatives and the Caretakers must be checked daily by the user and a formal visual inspection carried out weekly and a combined test and inspection every 6–12 months.
► Class 1 equipment such as kettles and equipment that has more heavy use such as vacuum cleaners must have a formal visual inspection every 6-12 months and a combined test and inspection every 1-2 years.

4.12.7 Records of formal inspections and testing will be held by the individual service.

4.13 Asset Data

4.13.1 B3 Living acknowledge that to meet our obligations we must maintain a robust approach to identifying the assets and components for which we have responsibility.

4.13.2 We will:

► Maintain an up-to-date Master Database of all properties that have an electrical supply.
► For each relevant property, record and maintain up to date data confirming which of the appliances within the scope of this Policy exist and do not exist and the organisation’s associated responsibility.
► Where a requirement exists, hold data and certification relating to at a minimum the two inspections and the next due date.
► Where a requirement does not exist hold appropriate evidence.
► Maintain current and up to date records of remedial works for the entire portfolio, which will detail all recommendations from the inspections. These records will include (i) Address and risk profile of the property, (ii) Detail of the work item required, (iii) Priority and target completion date/s, (iv) Person responsible, (v) Date of when the work was completed and (vi) Who it was signed-off by and (vii) Evidence of completion.

Further details will be contained within the ESMP.

4.13.3 The approach to data control will be documented in the ESMP.

4.14 Customer’s Responsibilities

4.14.1 As part of their tenancy conditions customers must allow B3Living access to carry out essential works, including the five-year electrical inspection. Failure to allow access can result in action being taken against the customer to grant access, including as a last resort obtaining a court injunction.

4.14.2 B3Living will take every step deemed reasonable to work with the customer to gain access before taking any court action.

4.14.3 Details of the steps to gain access can be found in the ESMP.

4.15 Communication

4.15.1 At commencement of a tenancy B3Living issues the new customer with a copy of the EICR test certificate undertaken whilst the property was empty and arrange for a further EICR to be completed at time of occupation by the new customer.

5. Equality, diversity, and inclusion

5.1.1 This important safety policy is applied as consistently as possible, across all homes with an electrical supply, to ensure the safety of customers and the responsibilities of B3Living are delivered. An initial EIA has been completed and suitable controls can be put in place so that no groups are disadvantaged.

5.1.2 Where customers have particular needs, or are coping with particular circumstances, B3Living will try to assist and support customers, or their representatives or support agencies, in meeting responsibilities and to ensure the smooth application of this policy and related processes. However, where legal timescales are exceeded, or at risk of being exceeded, it will be explained that B3Living cannot avoid taking action to ensure safety is maintained and legal action will be taken where needed.

6. Data protection and information security

6.1.1 Basic personal data will be supplied to the electrical contractor for inclusion in their database. This will be achieved in compliance B3Livings data protection policies, register of processing activities and its data sharing agreement with the contractor.

7. Customer voice

7.1.1 Feedback from customer feedback and complaints, or compliments will be reviewed, and changes considered where possible or relevant. However, this policy delivers a legal requirement with which B3Living is bound to comply.

8. Compliance

8.1.1 The Regulator of Social Housing (RoSH) and the RoSH Consumer Standards places specific duties on landlords to ensure the health, safety and welfare of customers, visitors, and employees, as well as the health and safety of other persons who may be affected by coming into contact with an unsafe electrical supply.

8.1.2 Failure to comply with the requirement of this policy is a disciplinary offence.

9. Risk Management

9.1 The potential risks relating to this policy have been identified and are being managed in line with our Risk Management Policy.

9.2 The Board reviews its risk appetite in key areas of the business annually.

10. Health and safety considerations

10.1 This policy is key to fulfilling our health and safety obligations.

11. Linked policies, procedures, and guidance

• Health and Safety Policy (Main)
• Electrical Safety Management Plan (ESMP)
• Carbon Monoxide Detection Policy
• Gas and Other Heat Sources Management Plan
• Risk Management Policy
• Fire safety Management Policy
• Building Safety Policy