What are the regulations?
The Electricity At Work Regulations 1990 (EAW).
The Electricity At Work Regulations came into force in April 1990. They require precautions to be taken against risk of death or personal injury from the use of electrical appliances. These regulations were made under the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974 and set out the requirements for the safety of electrical equipment.
What premises do the regulations cover?
The regulations cover all premises which are accessible to the employees and any member of the public, typically these would include offices, factories, banks, shops and schools.
Who should inspect and test portable appliances?
EAW Regulation 16, HSE document PM32, CPIT Regulation 9.4, PUWER 6. Both visual and electrical testing of portable appliances should be carried out by a person with the knowledge and practical experience of electricity and its hazards. i.e. qualified electrician with the relevant City & Guilds qualifications in Inspecting and Testing of portable electrical appliances. Since the person or duty holder must make judgements on the appropriate level of testing required, they must understand the operating principles of each appliance and have adequate knowledge of the safety standard.
TO SUMMARISE:-the legislation dictates that all portable electrical equipment or electrical equipment connected to the power source by a lead, cord or flex, must be maintained in a safe and non hazardous condition, the only recognised way of achieving this is by carrying out Portable Appliance Testing.
Shock Tactics.......Health and Safety statistics show that annually 30 people are killed and 1000 accidents at work occur involving electricity. Earlier figures show that in one year alone, 2000 fires were said to be caused by faulty leads. With growing awareness of Electricity At Work regulations, many organisations have come to recognise the benefits of regular inspections, test and maintainance of electrical equipment as part of their on-going safety management programmes, and while such measure may seem mundane, withouth them you could be putting your staff, property and premises at very serious risk.