How to Get an Electrical Conformity Report for Insurance

When an industrial facility suffers an electrical fire, the first question that comes to mind is usually: will insurance cover this? The answer is often more complicated than expected, because insurers — either at policy signing or after a claim — ask whether the facility's electrical installation is backed by a current, documented conformity report. If that report is missing or outdated, the insurer can deny the claim, partially or entirely, on the grounds that the damage resulted from neglect or a preventable defect. An electrical conformity report is therefore not just a regulatory formality — it's the document that determines whether the facility's insurance coverage actually functions when it's needed.

Why Do Insurers Require This Report?

Insurance policies are priced on the assumption that the insured party has exercised reasonable diligence to reduce risk. Because electrical installations are one of the most common sources of fire and property damage at an industrial facility, insurers frequently write clauses into policy terms requiring: periodic inspection of the installation by a competent engineering team, correction of identified risks within a reasonable timeframe, and documentation of that entire process. If this requirement isn't met, the insurer can argue the damage relates to negligence on the insured's part and either deny the claim or significantly reduce the payout. This practice is increasingly common, particularly in high-value industrial and commercial property policies.

How Does a Claim Get Denied Without This Report?

The denial process typically works like this: after a fire or electrical failure, the insurer assigns an independent loss adjuster. While investigating the root cause, the adjuster also reviews the installation's maintenance history. If a preventable technical defect is found at the origin point — a loose connection, an overloaded circuit, inadequate earthing — and the facility cannot produce a record showing this defect would have been caught and corrected through regular inspection, the adjuster's report can characterize this as "the insured's failure to exercise reasonable care." As a result, the insurer can deny the claim partially or entirely, citing the policy's general clause on "failure to take necessary maintenance and precautions." At that point, the facility's only defense is a conformity report obtained at regular intervals, with findings tracked and closed.

What Does an Electrical Conformity Report Cover?

A comprehensive electrical conformity report is not a single measurement — it combines several complementary technical checks:

• Earthing measurement: verifying that the facility's earthing resistance and continuity values fall within acceptable limits. Our earthing measurement guide covers this in more detail.
• Thermal inspection: detecting overheating risk points in panels and connections using a thermal camera; insurance adjusters investigating fire-related damage specifically ask whether this kind of inspection was performed.
• Panel conformity check: assessing low-voltage panels against TS EN 61439-1, including short-circuit withstand and protection coordination.
• Lightning protection system (LPS) check: verifying the functional condition of the lightning rod and lightning protection installation and its earthing connection.
• Insulation resistance measurement: testing the insulation integrity of cabling and equipment to reveal leakage current and insulation degradation risk.
• Residual-current device function testing: verifying that RCDs trip within the specified time and current threshold.

Although each of these checks is its own area of expertise, an insurance-driven conformity report typically bundles them together under a single, comprehensive inspection program.

The Link to EKAT and Regulation

The Electrical High-Current Installations Regulation (EKAT) is Turkey's core regulation governing the installation, operation, and maintenance of electrical facilities. The conformity reports insurers request largely overlap with EKAT's technical requirements; even when an installation is built and operated in compliance with EKAT, failing to document that compliance with a current report can leave the facility exposed during the insurance process. In addition, under Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety, employers' obligation to keep electrical installations safe and document that status significantly overlaps with what insurers request — which is why facilities typically satisfy both OHS and insurance requirements through a single inspection program.

How the Conformity Report Process Works

Obtaining an electrical conformity report isn't a single measurement event — it follows a systematic process:

1. Scope definition: clarifying which checks the insurance policy or corporate risk management requires (earthing, thermal, panel, LPS, etc.).
2. Reviewing existing documentation: examining the facility's single-line diagram, prior inspection reports, and any historical failure records.
3. Field measurements: a competent engineering team performs measurements using instruments compliant with the relevant standards.
4. Assessing and classifying findings: each identified non-conformity is classified by severity (urgent / short-term correction / monitor).
5. Reporting: all measurement results, findings, and recommended corrective actions are compiled into a single technical report.
6. Follow-up on corrective actions: after critical findings are addressed, a follow-up record documents that the correction was effective.
7. Submitting the report to the insurer: the completed report is delivered to the insurance company during policy renewal or a new application.

This process runs as part of a comprehensive technical consultancy and reporting service, and is typically scheduled on the same calendar as the facility's other periodic electrical checks.

Report Validity Period and Renewal Frequency

How long a conformity report remains valid depends on the type of check involved and the facility's risk class, but the commonly accepted industry approach is:

• General industrial facilities: full renewal once a year.
• High-risk facilities or those with explosive atmospheres (Ex zones, chemical storage): twice a year, or at intervals specified in the policy terms.
• After a significant change to the installation (new feeder, new panel, capacity increase): a supplementary report reflecting the updated condition.
• After a serious finding is corrected: a follow-up report verifying the correction was effective.

Keeping the report current ahead of the policy renewal date matters in particular; many insurers require a current conformity report at renewal and won't complete the process without it.

The Relationship Between the Report and Policy Terms

A point businesses frequently overlook is that a policy's general terms directly shape the required scope of the conformity report. Some policies only mandate earthing and LPS checks, while others explicitly require thermal inspection and panel conformity as well. A conformity report prepared without carefully reviewing the policy text can fail to meet the scope the insurer expects, and still be found deficient at claim time. For this reason, when defining report scope, it's worth reviewing the relevant policy clauses together with the engineering team.

Additional Requirements for Substations and High-Voltage Facilities

At facilities with their own substation or high-voltage switchyard, the conformity report's scope expands. Insurers at these facilities typically also request transformer oil analysis, partial discharge testing, and switchgear maintenance records. The technical documentation created during substation installation forms the foundation for these facilities' subsequent conformity reports, letting each renewal update existing records instead of starting from scratch.

How the Report Gets Used During an Adjuster's Investigation

During a post-loss adjuster investigation, the conformity report is the facility's strongest defense document. The adjuster investigating the root cause first examines physical evidence at the scene — burn patterns, the failed component, cable damage — and then asks whether that finding was previously known, i.e., whether it was caught during regular inspection. If the facility can produce a report showing the point of origin was marked "conforming" or "low risk" at the most recent inspection, this supports the position that the damage stemmed from an unforeseeable failure rather than preventable negligence. Conversely, if that same point was flagged as a finding in an earlier report but never corrected, it becomes strong evidence against the facility. This is why not just having a report, but having tracked and closed findings, is decisive in an adjuster's assessment.

Which Sectors Find This More Critical?

In some sectors, the electrical conformity report is more than standard practice — it's directly tied to business continuity. In high-dust, high-humidity environments like textiles and foundries, equipment wears faster; food production's hygiene requirements mean frequent washdown of electrical installations, which raises corrosion risk at connection points; and at chemical storage or Ex-zone facilities, even a small spark risk can have severe consequences. Insurers typically require more frequent inspection intervals and broader report scope at these higher-risk facilities — some policies mandate six-month rather than annual inspection.

Common Mistakes

• Only thinking about the report after a loss occurs: a conformity report cannot be obtained after damage has occurred — its value only exists when it's obtained in advance, at regular intervals.
• Narrowing report scope without reviewing policy terms: settling for earthing measurement alone while missing that the policy also requires thermal inspection or panel conformity leads to a missing-documentation problem at claim time.
• Filing the report without correcting the findings: if critical findings identified in the report aren't tracked and resolved, the report itself can become evidence that a known risk was ignored.
• Renewing a policy with an expired report: insurers generally don't accept outdated reports as valid.
• Failing to reflect installation changes in the report: once a new feeder or panel is added, the previous report no longer reflects the facility's current condition.
• Treating the report as a mere formality: a conformity report is also an engineering assessment that surfaces the facility's actual risks; a superficial check done just to collect a signature protects neither insurance standing nor OHS compliance.

FAQ

Can an insurance policy be issued without an electrical conformity report? Usually yes, but if the policy terms specify this report as a condition, a policy without it can lose validity at claim time or lead to a denied payout.

How often should the report be renewed? Once a year is recommended for general industrial facilities; this shortens for high-risk environments or when the policy explicitly requires more frequent inspection.

Which checks should the report include? Scope varies by policy, but commonly includes earthing measurement, thermal inspection, panel conformity check, lightning protection system check, and insulation resistance measurement.

Who should prepare the report? It should be prepared by EMO-registered engineering teams competent in the relevant standards; insurers typically also evaluate the technical competence of the entity that issued the report.

What happens if the report finds a critical issue? The finding is classified by severity and expected to be corrected within the recommended timeframe; a follow-up report should then document that the correction was made.

Does the report guarantee a claim will be accepted? No, but by proving the facility exercised due diligence and tracked risks with documentation, it significantly reduces the risk of an unfair denial.

Is this report necessary for smaller businesses too? Yes. Regardless of policy size, most insurers request a conformity report scaled to the facility's size.

Can the report also be used for OHS inspections? Yes. Most of the measurements within a conformity report overlap with workplace electrical safety obligations under Law No. 6331, so the same inspection typically serves both purposes.

Conclusion

An electrical conformity report determines whether insurance coverage actually functions — and ignoring it exposes the facility to significant financial risk. A report obtained at regular intervals, scoped to match policy terms, and backed by tracked findings is an investment that protects the facility both at claim time and in day-to-day electrical safety.