Initial verification versus periodic inspection and agreeing scope
Two different jobs
Initial verification and periodic inspection answer different questions.
Initial verification asks: does this new work comply with the design and with BS 7671? It is done before the installation is energised or put into service, covers 100% of the installation, requires design data, and the results are recorded on an Electrical Installation Certificate with schedules of inspections and test results.
Periodic inspection asks: is this existing installation in a satisfactory condition for continued service? It is done with the installation in use as far as possible, samples rather than covers everything, works from limited documentation, records observations on an Electrical Installation Condition Report, and recommends the next inspection interval.
Three consequences that questions test: BS 7671 is not retrospective, so departures from an earlier edition are not automatically non-compliant; an EICR cannot confirm that the design was ever correct, only whether the installation is in a satisfactory condition within the extent inspected; and a satisfactory report is not a guarantee that every circuit has been tested.
Agreeing the scope. Before testing, confirm with the client in writing the purpose, the extent and the limitations, and put them on the report. Where the requested extent is inadequate for the purpose, say so and recommend a wider extent.
Traps. Statements such as a periodic inspection confirms compliance with the current edition of BS 7671 are wrong, as is a satisfactory EICR means the installation is safe - it means no C1, C2 or FI was found within the stated extent.