The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (EAWR 1989) are the primary legal framework governing electrical safety in UK workplaces. The regulations apply to every person who works with, controls or manages electrical systems — including electrical contractors, employers, maintenance engineers, and self-employed electricians. They apply in every workplace and domestic setting where work activities involve electricity.
EAWR 1989 is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive and breaches are criminal offences. Between 2013 and 2023, electricity was identified as the source of injury in over 1,000 reported electrical incidents in the workplace. Many of these incidents were entirely preventable and involved straightforward breaches of EAWR duties. This guide explains what the regulations require, who they apply to, and what compliance looks like in practice.
What the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 Require
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 came into force on 1 April 1990 and apply throughout Great Britain. The regulations impose absolute or qualified duties on duty holders. An absolute duty uses the phrase shall — meaning the duty must be met regardless of cost or difficulty. A qualified duty uses the phrase so far as is reasonably practicable — meaning the duty holder must balance the level of risk against the cost, time and difficulty of control measures.
Regulation 3(1) makes it clear that employers and self-employed persons must comply with the regulations in respect of systems, equipment and conductors which they control or use. Regulation 3(2) extends specific duties to employees. This means an employed electrician has personal legal duties under EAWR 1989, separate from their employer's duties.
Regulation 4 sets the overarching safety duty. It states that all systems shall at all times be of such construction as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, danger. Regulation 4(2) requires that electrical equipment is maintained so as to prevent danger. Regulation 4(3) requires that every work activity, including operation, use and maintenance, is carried out in a manner that prevents danger. These three sub-regulations together impose a cradle-to-grave safety duty on electrical systems and equipment.
The regulations define danger in Regulation 2 as risk of injury from electric shock, electric burn, electrical explosion or arcing, or from fire or explosion initiated by electrical energy. Danger is not limited to electric shock — it includes secondary hazards such as fires started by faulty wiring.
Who the Regulations Apply To
EAWR 1989 applies to a wide range of duty holders. The regulations specifically apply to:
- Employers who use or control electrical systems, including non-electrical businesses using office equipment, manufacturing plant, or heating systems
- Self-employed persons carrying out any work activity involving electricity, including sole trader electricians, contractors and maintenance engineers
- Employees who work with electrical systems or equipment, who have duties under Regulation 3(2)(a) and a common law duty of care
- Electrical contractors responsible for design, installation, inspection, testing or maintenance of electrical systems
- Facilities managers and building owners who control fixed electrical installations in commercial or residential premises
- Construction contractors using temporary electrical supplies on site
- Landlords who provide electrical installations to tenants as part of domestic or commercial lettings
- Event organisers using temporary electrical distribution systems for outdoor or temporary events
The regulations do not apply to domestic homeowners in respect of their own domestic premises, except when carrying out work activities (such as DIY electrical work carried out as part of a business or for reward). Once a premises is used for work purposes, or work is carried out by or under the direction of an employer or self-employed person, EAWR 1989 applies.
Key Duties at a Glance
The principal duties under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 are:
- Regulation 4(1): Systems must be safe — All electrical systems must be constructed to prevent danger so far as is reasonably practicable. This applies to design, installation and condition of fixed and portable systems.
- Regulation 4(2): Maintenance — Electrical equipment must be maintained so as to prevent danger so far as is reasonably practicable. Maintenance includes inspection, testing, repair and replacement.
- Regulation 5: Strength and capability — No electrical equipment shall be used where its strength and capability may be exceeded in a manner that could give rise to danger. Equipment must be suitable for the load, environment and duty cycle.
- Regulation 6: Adverse or hazardous environments — Electrical equipment in environments where flammable or explosive atmospheres may occur must be constructed or protected to prevent danger. This includes use of intrinsically safe or flameproof equipment in ATEX zones.
- Regulation 7: Insulation, protection and placement — Conductors must be insulated or protected, or placed to prevent danger. Live parts must not be accessible unless necessary and suitable precautions are in place.
- Regulation 12: Means of cutting off and isolation — Suitable means must be provided to cut off the supply of electrical energy and to isolate electrical equipment. Isolation is required for maintenance and emergency use.
- Regulation 13: Precautions for work on equipment made dead — Adequate precautions must be taken to prevent electrical equipment becoming live while work is carried out. This includes secure isolation, locks, tags and testing.
- Regulation 14: Work on or near live conductors — Work on or near live conductors is prohibited unless it is unreasonable for the conductor to be dead, it is reasonable in all the circumstances for the work to be done live, and suitable precautions are taken. This is the most frequently breached regulation in HSE enforcement.
- Regulation 16: Persons to be competent — No person shall work on, or control, electrical systems unless they possess sufficient technical knowledge, experience and training to prevent danger. Competence must match the complexity and risk of the work.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Breaches of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 are criminal offences under section 33 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The HSE can prosecute in the magistrates' court or the Crown Court. In the Crown Court, fines are unlimited. Following the 2016 sentencing guidelines, companies convicted of health and safety offences are sentenced according to culpability and harm, with fines ranging from thousands to millions of pounds depending on turnover and the seriousness of the breach.
Individuals convicted of breaches — including directors, managers and self-employed contractors — can be fined and imprisoned for up to two years. Where a breach results in death, the HSE may refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration of corporate manslaughter or gross negligence manslaughter charges, which carry sentences of up to life imprisonment for individuals.
The HSE also operates a Fee for Intervention scheme. Where an inspector identifies a material breach of health and safety law, the duty holder is charged £163 per hour for the inspector's time. A site visit resulting in an improvement notice for inadequate electrical maintenance can cost several thousand pounds in FFI charges alone, before any fine.
In 2023/24, the construction and manufacturing sectors reported the highest number of electrical incidents. HSE figures indicate that contact with electricity accounted for multiple fatal injuries and hundreds of non-fatal injuries requiring hospital treatment. The regulations exist because electricity kills quickly and the consequences of non-compliance are measured in fatalities.
How the Regulations Relate to Risk Assessments
EAWR 1989 does not explicitly require a written risk assessment — but the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR) do. Regulation 3 of MHSWR requires every employer and self-employed person to carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of employees and others arising from work activities. This duty applies to electrical work just as it does to any other work.
A suitable electrical risk assessment will identify the hazards specific to the work — electric shock, burns, arc flash, fire — and the control measures required to comply with EAWR duties. The risk assessment must consider the condition of the system, the competence of workers, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), isolation procedures, and emergency arrangements. Where work on or near live conductors is proposed, the risk assessment must clearly document why it is unreasonable for the system to be dead and what precautions will prevent danger, as required by Regulation 14.
Regulation 16 (competence) requires that no person shall work on or control electrical systems unless competent. A risk assessment helps determine the level of competence required. Simple tasks such as changing a fused plug may require basic instruction; live fault-finding on high-voltage distribution systems requires formal qualifications, years of experience, and specific authorisation. The assessment must match the person to the task.
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EAWR 1989 and Electrical Contractors
Electrical contractors are the primary duty holders under EAWR 1989 in respect of the systems they design, install, test and maintain. Regulation 4 requires that systems are constructed to prevent danger. For a contractor, this means ensuring that installation work meets the requirements of BS 7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations), that equipment is selected for its intended environment, that protective devices are correctly rated, and that earthing and bonding arrangements are effective.
Regulation 4(2) requires maintenance to prevent danger. Electrical contractors carrying out periodic inspection and testing must follow a documented maintenance schedule based on risk. The IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (4th edition) and BS 7671 provide recommended intervals for different types of installation, but the legal duty under EAWR is to maintain the system so that danger is prevented — the interval must be justified by assessment.
Regulation 14 is particularly relevant to electrical contractors. Many jobs involve live working — testing circuits, fault-finding, or connecting to existing live systems. The regulation is clear: work on or near live conductors is prohibited unless three conditions are met. First, it must be unreasonable in all the circumstances for the conductor to be dead. Convenience is not sufficient — there must be a clear technical or operational reason why isolation is not practicable. Second, it must be reasonable in all the circumstances for the work to be done while the conductor is live. Third, suitable precautions must be taken to prevent injury, including the use of insulated tools, barriers, and appropriate PPE such as arc-rated gloves and face shields.
Competence under Regulation 16 means electrical contractors must hold current qualifications appropriate to the work. For installation and testing, this typically means City & Guilds 2382 (BS 7671), 2391 (inspection and testing), and AM2 (practical assessment). For high-voltage work, additional authorisation and training such as HV switching procedures are required. Contractors must also ensure their employees and subcontractors meet the same competence standard before allowing them to carry out electrical work.
Fixed Installation Inspections and EICR
Regulation 4(2) requires that electrical equipment is maintained to prevent danger. For fixed installations, this means periodic inspection and testing. An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is the formal record of this inspection. The inspection must be carried out by a competent person and must assess the installation against the requirements of BS 7671.
The frequency of inspection is not prescribed by EAWR 1989 or BS 7671 — it must be determined by risk assessment. Typical intervals are 5 years for commercial premises, 10 years for domestic rented properties (or at change of tenancy under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations 2020), and 3 years for industrial or higher-risk environments such as construction sites or agricultural premises. The legal duty is to inspect and test at intervals that prevent danger — not to follow arbitrary timescales.
Portable Appliance Testing and Regulation 4(2)
There is a common misconception that portable appliance testing (PAT) is a legal requirement on an annual basis. This is incorrect. EAWR 1989 requires that equipment is maintained to prevent danger — it does not mandate PAT testing, nor does it prescribe intervals. The HSE guidance document INDG236 (Maintaining Portable Electric Equipment in Low-Risk Environments) states clearly that testing frequency must be determined by risk assessment.
Low-risk equipment such as desktop computers in an office may only require visual inspection and formal testing every 2-4 years. High-risk equipment such as 110V power tools on a construction site may require inspection before each use and formal testing every 3 months. The legal duty is for maintenance to be suitable and sufficient — not for an annual PAT sticker. Many contractors continue to promote annual PAT testing as a legal requirement despite HSE guidance to the contrary. Duty holders should base testing intervals on risk, not sales pitches.
Working Live: Regulation 14 in Practice
Regulation 14 is absolute: no person shall work on or near a live conductor unless three strict conditions are met. The first condition — that it must be unreasonable in all the circumstances for the conductor to be dead — requires a clear, documented justification. Examples of situations where live working may be justified include testing to diagnose a fault (where isolation would prevent diagnosis), work on systems supplying life-critical equipment such as hospital operating theatres, or work on distribution network operator infrastructure where isolation would cause widespread supply interruption.
Work that can be done safely with the system isolated must be done dead. A contractor who chooses to work live because it is quicker, more convenient, or avoids the need to notify the client is in breach of Regulation 14. The HSE prosecutes this breach regularly, particularly following serious injuries or fatalities. In recent cases, contractors have been fined tens of thousands of pounds and imprisoned for working live where it was entirely practicable to isolate the system.
Where live working is justified, suitable precautions must be taken. This includes the use of insulated tools to BS EN 60900, insulating mats and barriers, arc-rated PPE rated to the prospective fault current, and the presence of a second competent person to provide assistance in the event of an accident. Work must be planned and supervised, and workers must be trained and assessed as competent for live working.
Related Regulations and Standards
EAWR 1989 sits within a wider framework of electrical safety law. Electrical installations must comply with BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 (Requirements for Electrical Installations, IET Wiring Regulations 18th Edition). While BS 7671 is not law, compliance with BS 7671 is widely accepted as demonstrating compliance with Regulation 4 of EAWR. Departures from BS 7671 must be justified and documented.
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) also apply to electrical equipment. PUWER Regulation 5 requires equipment to be suitable for the purpose, and Regulation 6 requires maintenance. The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 implement the Low Voltage Directive and apply to electrical products placed on the market — these regulations are enforced by local authority trading standards, not the HSE.
For construction sites, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 require electrical installations to be designed, installed and maintained to prevent danger. Temporary electrical supplies on site must comply with BS 7671 Section 717 and BS 7375 (Code of Practice for Distribution of Electricity on Construction and Building Sites). The CDM Regulations 2015 place duties on principal contractors to ensure site electrical systems are safe.
