Our history

Who we are - We’re the Electrical safety Council. We’re an independent charity that’s dedicated to keeping you and your loved ones safe by reducing electrical accidents at home and at work.

We are supported by all sectors of the electrical industry as well as local and central government, and we work to promote safety and good practice.

The Electrical Safety Council has come a long way since it was established as the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) in 1956.

The National Inspection Council was in turn created from the National Register of Electrical Contractors, established in 1923, an organisation set up to provide protection for consumers against unsafe electrical wiring and equipment.

Significant events in our history

1956NICEIC set up
1959First NICEIC newsletter published
1970sAround 18,000 separate electrical installations inspected each year
1971 NICEIC is registered as a charity
1983 First computer introduced into NICEIC Head Office
1986NICEIC Head Office moves to Vintage House, London
1988NICEIC forms NQA, National Quality Assurance
1992 16th Edition of IEE Wiring Regulations adopted as British Standard
1998 NICEIC Roll published on CD-ROM and website
2000NICEIC becomes a UKAS accredited certification body
2002 Technical Manual launched
2005 The charity was renamed the Electrical Safety Council and started to carry out the charitable objectives of the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting. NICEIC Group Ltd formed to carry out the commercial aspects of the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting.
2006Electrical Safety Council sets up its offices in Buckingham Gate, London

Regulations

Requirements for safe wiring date back to 1876 when Mr Musgrave Heaphy, an engineer with the Phoenix Assurance Company, started investigating the possible fire risks from the installations of electrical systems. In June 1882, the Society of Telegraph Engineers and Electricians, which later became the Institution of Electrical Engineers, published the Rules and Regulations for the Prevention of Fire Risks arising from Electric Lighting. This first edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations was a simple four-page document, but has now become the technical standard for all installers carrying out electrical installation work. In 1991 it became British Standard 7671: Requirements for Electrical Installations.