Before you reopen the wash bay, check the electrical safety evidence

What happened at the two car washes

In a release published on 27 October 2026, HSE reported false electrical safety certificates supplied to two Runcorn car washes. Inspectors had found dangerous installations and required work to stop. The contractor subsequently certified them as safe, but HSE found discrepancies between the certificates and the installations; both sites remained dangerous.

Epco Energy Solutions Limited was found guilty on 2 September 2026 of breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £20,000, with £15,239 costs, on 22 October 2026. These are the court dates, not the dates of a new incident this week.

The management lesson is to make the evidence specific to the site and the defects. The case does not mean every certificate is unreliable, or that an unqualified manager should inspect electrical internals.

Ask for a clear scope and a clear outcome

Before commissioning work, identify the affected installation, equipment and reported defects. Ask the electrical contractor to explain what they will inspect, repair and test, and what documentation will follow. A report covering one circuit or appliance should not be treated as confirmation that everything on the premises has been checked.

When documents arrive, check the address, dates, equipment descriptions and stated scope against your records. Ask about limitations, exclusions and unresolved observations. If details do not match, return the query to the issuer and obtain a corrected explanation or further competent assessment before relying on it.

Keep the original findings, remedial-work evidence and subsequent confirmation together. These administrative checks are useful management practice; they do not replace technical interpretation, inspection or testing.

Check competence for the actual work

HSE’s guidance on electrical work says competence depends on the task, with evidence of appropriate training and relevant experience. Ask whether the contractor is competent for the installation and environment involved, not simply whether they do electrical work.

Where a contractor claims scheme membership, check that claim through the scheme’s own current records and confirm the scope. Membership can help inform selection, but still read the documents supplied. In the Runcorn case, HSE reported that the contractor was a member of NICEIC at the time.

Do not ask general staff to remove covers, investigate live parts or attempt repairs. Arrange safe isolation and remedial work through people competent to do it.

Make the environment part of the assessment

HSE’s electrical safety introduction explains that equipment must suit its use and operating conditions. Wet surroundings can make unsuitable equipment and its surroundings dangerous. Assess where spray, standing water, vehicle movement and repeated handling could affect cables, connectors or equipment.

The legal duty is to maintain electrical equipment and installations to prevent danger so far as reasonably practicable. This is existing Great Britain legislation, not a new car-wash rule or a North East-specific requirement.

Use sensible user checks for visible damage and a planned competent inspection and testing programme. HSE’s electrical safety FAQs explain that intervals should reflect the likelihood of deterioration. A certificate date does not justify continued use after an obvious defect appears.

Six checks before the affected work restarts

1. Identify the restriction. Record which equipment or activity is stopped and why. Keep people away from the danger.
2. Match the documents. Confirm the premises, installation and scope correspond to the work you commissioned.
3. Account for every defect. Ask what was repaired, what remains outstanding and whether further investigation is needed.
4. Get competent confirmation. Have a suitable electrical professional explain the findings, limitations and conditions for safe use.
5. Respect enforcement requirements. Where a prohibition notice applies, do not restart prohibited work until its requirements have been met. Clarify uncertainty with the enforcing authority.
6. Record the decision. Name who authorises restart, retain the evidence and explain any operating restrictions to staff.

Start with your most recent electrical report. Can you trace each significant finding to an action and an outcome? If not, assign someone to resolve the gap. A tidy folder is useful only when the records tell you what is actually safe to use.