BS 7671 Amendment 4: Condition Report Changes

Chapter 65 in Amendment 4 provides clarifications and updates to the condition reporting process that affect every inspector and testing practitioner. While the fundamental EICR format remains familiar, the details of who signs, what they check, and how they code observations are refined.

The signature requirement is the headline change. Amendment 4 specifies that the Electrical Installation Condition Report must bear the signature of the person who personally carried out the inspection and, separately, the person who personally carried out the testing. Where one qualified person performs both roles, a single signature suffices with both capacities noted. The key change is the word "personally" — a supervisor or project manager who did not physically perform the inspection or testing cannot sign for those sections. This addresses a practice where supervising electricians signed condition reports for work done by assistants.

Observation coding receives additional guidance. The existing C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous), C3 (improvement recommended), and FI (further investigation) codes are retained, but Amendment 4 provides expanded examples for new installation types. Battery storage observations include: C1 — battery installed in escape route with evidence of thermal distress; C2 — battery in loft with no thermal runaway protection; C3 — battery labelling not compliant with Amendment 4 (for post-compliance-date installations); FI — battery BMS documentation not available for verification.

The schedule of inspection now includes additional checkpoints for Amendment 4 items. Inspectors must check and record: presence and adequacy of battery storage labelling, PoE installation identification and cable suitability, EV charger earthing arrangement and PME compliance, functional earthing systems (where present), and energy monitoring provisions (where present).

Periodic inspection intervals are updated. Battery storage installations are now specifically listed with a recommended maximum interval of 3 years. This is more frequent than the 5-year recommendation for standard domestic installations, reflecting the higher risk profile of battery systems. Commercial battery installations align with the existing 3-year recommendation for commercial premises.

The overall condition assessment must now consider Amendment 4 requirements for installations that have been altered since the compliance date. An installation that was satisfactory under the previous edition but has subsequently had a battery or EV charger added must be assessed against Amendment 4 for those additions, even if the rest of the installation predates Amendment 4.

ECalPro provides documentation support for Amendment 4 condition reporting, including observation templates and compliance checklists for new installation types.