Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 Explained

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 apply to almost every workplace, because almost every workplace uses electricity. They place duties on employers, the self-employed and employees to prevent danger and injury from electricity, whether from electric shock, burns, fire, explosion or arcing.

The key regulations

Regulation	What it requires
4	Electrical systems must be constructed and maintained to prevent danger, and work on or near them must be carried out safely.
5	Equipment must not be used where its strength and capability may be exceeded.
6	Equipment exposed to adverse conditions, such as weather, water, dust, corrosion or flammable atmospheres, must be suitable for them.
7	Conductors must be insulated or otherwise protected.
8	Precautions such as earthing must prevent danger from conductors that may become charged.
11	Systems must be protected from excess current, for example by fuses or circuit breakers.
12	There must be suitable means of cutting off the supply and isolating equipment.
13	Equipment made dead for work must be prevented from becoming live again, for example by locking off.
14	No live working unless it is unreasonable for the equipment to be dead, it is reasonable to work live, and suitable precautions are taken.
16	People must be competent, or properly supervised, to prevent danger.

Absolute duties and the defence

Several regulations are absolute, meaning they must be met whatever the cost. Regulation 29 gives a defence for some of them if the person can show they took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid committing the offence.

Safe isolation

Identify the circuit or equipment and the correct point of isolation.
Switch off and isolate.
Secure the isolation with a lock and a warning tag, as part of a safe system of work.
Prove the tester works on a known live source.
Test the circuit is dead.
Prove the tester again.

Does PAT testing have to be done every year?

No. The law requires electrical equipment to be maintained so it does not cause danger. It does not say how often portable appliances must be tested. The right frequency depends on the type of equipment and how it is used: a kettle in an office needs far less attention than a power tool on a building site. Simple user checks and visual inspections find most faults. The IET Code of Practice for in-service inspection and testing gives suggested intervals.

Construction sites

Sites are harsh environments for electrical equipment, which is why 110 volt centre-tapped supplies, residual current devices and regular inspections are standard. Our guide to electrical safety on construction sites covers this, and HSG47 covers buried cables.

The ACoP and official guidance

Publication	Status	What it covers
HSR25 Memorandum of guidance on the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (3rd edition, 2015)	Guidance, not an ACoP	Explains each regulation, the regulation 29 defence and how to comply.

BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations, is a British Standard rather than law, but following it is widely accepted as a way to meet the regulations for fixed installations.

An Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) has special legal status under section 16 of the Health and Safety at Work Act. If you are prosecuted and did not follow it, you must show that you met the law in some other way that was just as good. Guidance on Regulations has no special legal status, but inspectors refer to it and following it is normally enough to comply. Our guide to UK health and safety legislation lists every law and its ACoP or guidance in one place.

Training that helps

Our electrical safety eLearning is a quick introduction for all staff. For people who manage electrical risk, the NEBOSH National General Certificate covers electrical hazards and controls, and IOSH Managing Safely covers risk assessment and safe systems of work.

Frequently asked questions

Is PAT testing a legal requirement?

Not as such. The law requires equipment to be maintained to prevent danger. Inspection and testing is a common way to show this, at a frequency based on risk.

Who do the Electricity at Work Regulations apply to?

Employers, the self-employed and employees, for electrical systems and work activities under their control.

When is live working allowed?

Only when it is unreasonable for the equipment to be dead, reasonable in all the circumstances to work live, and suitable precautions are taken to prevent injury.

Is BS 7671 a legal requirement?

No, it is a British Standard, but following it is widely accepted as a way to comply for fixed electrical installations.

Read the source

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; HSE HSR25, Memorandum of guidance on the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (3rd edition, 2015); HSE guidance on maintaining portable electrical equipment; and the IET Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment. Facts checked on 7 October 2026.

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