Understanding the organisation behind RC59
To understand why RC59 carries so much influence, it helps to understand who produced it. The RISC Authority is an independent body funded by the UK insurance industry.
Its purpose is to research emerging risks affecting commercial property and publish practical guidance that helps organisations protect people, buildings and business continuity. Its publications cover a wide range of subjects, including:
- Fire protection.
- Electrical safety.
- Construction risks.
- Renewable technologies.
- Escape of water.
- Security.
- Electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Unlike legislation, which establishes minimum legal duties, the RISC Authority focuses on helping organisations reduce risk beyond minimum compliance.
That is why RC59 has become an increasingly important reference document for insurers, surveyors, consultants and facilities professionals.
Why was RC59 developed?
The growth of electric vehicles has changed the way commercial car parks operate. Many buildings that were originally designed simply for parking now support:
- Workplace charging.
- Residential charging.
- Fleet charging.
- Public charging.
- Visitor charging.
At the same time, charging technology has evolved rapidly. Power levels have increased. Vehicle numbers have grown. Electrical demand has changed. Building owners have had to consider new operational challenges that simply didn’t exist a decade ago. Questions naturally followed.
For example:
- Where should chargers be located?
- How can accidental vehicle impact be minimised?
- Should chargers be installed close to building entrances?
- How should charging infrastructure be integrated into the building’s fire strategy?
- What maintenance arrangements should be in place?
- How should installations be managed over the next fifteen years?
RC59 was developed to provide practical guidance on these issues, helping organisations adopt a structured and proportionate approach to risk management.
What does RC59 actually cover?
One of RC59’s greatest strengths is that it looks beyond the charger itself. It recognises that safe EV charging depends on how the entire installation interacts with the building, its occupants and its ongoing operation.
Some of the key themes include:
Charger location
Where chargers are installed can significantly influence both operational efficiency and risk management. RC59 encourages designers to consider factors such as:
- Building entrances.
- Means of escape.
- Pedestrian routes.
- Vehicle circulation.
- Emergency access.
- Structural features.
Good positioning improves usability while also reducing unnecessary operational risks.
Protection against vehicle impact
Commercial car parks are busy environments. In practice, accidental vehicle impacts are often a more common cause of charger damage than electrical faults.
For this reason, RC59 encourages consideration of appropriate physical protection, which may include:
- Steel bollards.
- Wheel stops.
- Protective barriers.
- Suitable stand-off distances.
These relatively simple measures can significantly improve the resilience of charging infrastructure throughout its life.
Fire strategy integration
One of the most valuable aspects of RC59 is that it treats EV charging as part of the wider building—not as a standalone installation. Rather than asking: Is the charger compliant?
RC59 encourages organisations to ask: How does this charging infrastructure fit within the building’s overall fire strategy?
This may involve considering:
- Fire detection systems.
- Smoke control arrangements.
- Fire alarm philosophy.
- Emergency response procedures.
- Escape routes.
- Building occupancy.
The objective is not to prescribe a universal solution but to ensure charging infrastructure complements the overall safety strategy for the building.
Inspection and maintenance
RC59 also reinforces an important principle that is often overlooked. Safety does not end on the day the installation is commissioned. Like any other critical electrical asset, EV charging infrastructure should be:
- Inspected.
- Maintained.
- Monitored.
- Reviewed.
Routine inspections, preventative maintenance and good record keeping all contribute to reducing risk and improving long-term reliability.
Why do insurers pay attention to RC59?
This is perhaps the most important question. Insurance is fundamentally about understanding and managing risk. When an insurer assesses a commercial property, they are interested not only in whether equipment has been installed correctly, but also in how it will be managed throughout its life.
RC59 provides a recognised framework that demonstrates an organisation has considered issues such as:
- Charger location.
- Fire strategy.
- Physical protection.
- Inspection regimes.
- Maintenance.
- Operational responsibilities.
Following recognised guidance does not guarantee insurance approval. However, it demonstrates a proactive and structured approach to managing risk, which is precisely what insurers are looking for.
Is RC59 mandatory?
No. This is one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding commercial EV charging. RC59 is guidance. It is not legislation.
It does not replace legal duties under:
- The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
- The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
- The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
- BS 7671.
- Building Regulations.
Instead, it complements these requirements by providing practical recommendations that help organisations make informed engineering and operational decisions. Think of RC59 as a roadmap for good practice rather than a legal checklist.
RC59 supports professional judgement, not a one-size-fits-all solution
Perhaps the most refreshing aspect of RC59 is that it avoids rigid rules. A basement residential car park. A logistics depot. A workplace office. A shopping centre. A hospital. Each presents different challenges. Applying exactly the same design philosophy to every site would rarely produce the best outcome.
Instead, RC59 encourages competent professionals to assess each installation individually and implement measures that are proportionate to the identified risks.
This flexibility is one of the reasons it has become such an influential document across the commercial property sector.