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The three levels of checking, and who counts as competentUser check, visual inspection or a full test?

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The three levels of checking

These are three different activities, and the exam expects you to tell them apart.

WhoRecorded?Testing?
User checkThe user, normally before useOnly if a fault is foundNo
Formal visual inspectionA competent person, often the test operativeAlways, pass or failNo — the user checks plus, where needed, opening connectors or connection points such as fused connection units (Section 8)
Combined inspection and testThe test operativeAlwaysYes — formal visual inspection (Section 8), electrical testing (Section 10), functional checks, labelling and record-keeping (Section 12)
!A user records nothing when there's no fault — nobody keeps a log saying "no fault today". They record and report faults, to the duty holder or their employer.
Start by talking to the user. Before touching anything, ask the person who uses it: any faults? Did you check it before and after use? It's the most-skipped step in the job and it's free information.

A user who finds a fault must not fix it. Exposed copper at the plug, a disconnected earth — that's out of service and reported, not repaired by whoever spotted it.

New equipment? It is normally not tested, because the manufacturer has already tested it — but it is inspected and checked for damage before use. Equipment of dubious provenance, such as some bought on the internet, may need a visual check and electrical testing (13.4).

Section 4 · 4.6 · the three categories · p.40 Section 7 · user checks Section 8 · formal visual inspection Appendix 6 · user checks and formal visual inspection

User check whoever uses it recorded only if faulty no testing Formal visual inspection competent person always recorded, pass or fail still no testing finds most of the faults Combined inspection & testing test operative always recorded the only one that tests instruments come out here
Three different activities. Each one includes everything the level before it does.

Who counts as competent

adequate knowledge · adequate skills · adequate training
The word the exam wants is adequate

Competence means having adequate knowledge, skills and training for the work in hand. Someone can be a skilled electrician and still not be the competent person for in-service inspection and testing, if they don't have the knowledge, skills and training for it.

WhoWhat they carry out
The userUser checks, normally before use
A competent person, often the test operativeFormal visual inspection
The test operative — a competent person: adequate knowledge, skills and trainingCombined inspection and testing

Section 4 · 4.6 · who carries out each category · p.40

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