Our maintenance and support services remove the worry of legislative compliance through regular checks and the identification of possible risk factors.

As anyone who has been involved with the retail sector over the last few years will be able to tell you, it’s a business that can be uniquely unpredictable and vulnerable to external factors. In this context it’s undesirable for any company to have to spend too much time worrying about the specifics of legislative compliance – including that which pertains to their use of lighting.

In the UK, retailers’ obligations revolve around a trio of compliance tests. These include EICRs (electrical installation condition reports), which need to be undertaken periodically in line with British Standard BS7671 and are required for all types of property –commercial and domestic. Then there is portable alliance testing (often referred to as PAT), as a result of which electrical appliances are routinely checked for safety. Finally, there is testing in accordance with British Standard BS5266, which determines the expectations of emergency lighting.

Not only is there a legal obligation for retailers to make sure these requirements are met – there is also a moral and practical one to their employees and visitors. Enlisting a specialist company who can take on these responsibilities can make a lot of sense, and it’s for that reason that Greenlite has made compliance an integral part of its maintenance and support offering.

Providing these services is a nationwide team of 30 full-time engineers with extensive experience of electrical systems in a wide range of commercial and industrial sectors. By devising a schedule in conjunction with the customer, they are able to remove the burden of compliance through regular checks, and by identifying and addressing potential areas of risk.

There are several significant benefits to this kind of arrangement. First and foremost, the need to allocate time and internal resources to understanding and interpreting the fine-print of regulations – often easier said than done! – is entirely removed. Secondly, by scheduling regular checks and maintenance work it is much easier to address issues before they become real and potentially damaging problems – with all the obvious cost benefits that implies. A proactive approach to compliance is always better than a reactive one.

Moreover, while EICR, PAT and emergency lighting tests represent the main current requirements for retailers, who can say what might happen in the future? New or enhanced regulations are always a possibility, and so at Greenlite we are committed to remaining abreast of developments in order that our maintenance services continue to be fit for purpose. As and when any new compliance for lighting and other electrical systems is introduced, customers can be sure that it will be fully integrated into our maintenance portfolio.

Indeed, it’s important to note that our compliance services offer as a whole continues to grow. As well as the aforementioned tests, we are also able to design and install electrical systems and fire alarms. We are finding that an increasing number of customers in retail and other sectors are keen to utilise these services alongside the primary compliance measures.

In retail particularly, there are so many variables that owners and operators need to consider at any one time – and some of them, like changing customer shopping habits, it may ultimately be out of their power to control. But by engaging Greenlite to organise regular inspection and safety checks it is possible to remove at least one major area of concern, and be assured that electrical and emergency systems will keep working effectively and efficiently.