Departure from BS 7671
A deliberate design choice that differs from a BS 7671 requirement. The designer has to show the result is no less safe than complying, and it's recorded on the certificate. It isn't a way of excusing poor work or a defect, and it isn't the same as a limitation, which bounds what an inspection checked.
Using Departure from BS 7671 in context
Reviewed
A distinction worth remembering
Inspection can identify unsuitable equipment or visible damage that a satisfactory resistance reading cannot rule out. Measurements add evidence about particular properties. A report needs both, with the scope and limitations recorded.
Questions to take further
- How can I revise Departure from BS 7671 beyond the definition?
- Explain what Departure from BS 7671 describes, compare it with a related term and use it in a topic question. State any assumptions and what evidence you would need before applying the idea to real work.
Sources
- IET: inspection and testing FAQs — Inspection, test interpretation and protecting equipment during testing.
Where Departure from BS 7671 fits in the learning path
The Testing & Inspection section covers these units:
- Initial Verification & Dead Testing
- Live Testing
- Inspection & Certification
Curriculum mapping: C&G 2365 Unit 304 / 2391.
See this section in the full curriculum
This section is on the Plus path. Lesson availability depends on content review and your learning path.
Read, practise, return
1. Read it in context
- Inspection & TestingTesting & Inspection
2. Try recalling, then explore practice
Use the memory prompt below to connect the vocabulary.
- Inspection & Testing — quiz previewPlus · Testing & Inspection
3. Return to the meaning
After reading or practising, explain the idea in your own words, then check what you remembered.
Recall a related term
Which term fits this definition? Say it to yourself, then reveal it. This is a memory prompt, with no score or saved result.
The report produced by a periodic inspection of an existing installation, recording its condition against the current edition of BS 7671. Observations are classified by urgency — C1 for danger present, C2 for potentially dangerous, C3 for improvement recommended, and FI where further investigation is needed — and a C1 or C2 makes the report unsatisfactory.
Compare related terms
Open a meaning to compare its role with Departure from BS 7671, or follow its full entry.
EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report
The report produced by a periodic inspection of an existing installation, recording its condition against the current edition of BS 7671. Observations are classified by urgency — C1 for danger present, C2 for potentially dangerous, C3 for improvement recommended, and FI where further investigation is needed — and a C1 or C2 makes the report unsatisfactory.
Read the EICR entryElectrical Installation Certificate — EIC
The certificate for electrical work that goes beyond minor works. That means a new installation, an addition or alteration with a new circuit, or a replacement consumer unit or distribution board. It records the design, construction, inspection and testing, it's only valid with its schedules attached, and the original goes to the person who ordered the work. It's a record of that job, not proof that anyone is qualified or registered.
Read the Electrical Installation Certificate entryLimitation (EICR)
Something that stops part of an installation being inspected or tested during a periodic inspection, recorded on the report with its reasons. Agreed limitations are settled with the person ordering the report, and operational ones turn up on site, such as a locked room. The more there are, the less the report can tell anyone, and a limitation never excuses hiding a known danger.
Read the Limitation (EICR) entryA definition is a start. Using it in a real question is where it sticks.