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You should make sure that electrical equipment used for work is safe. Here are a list of actions that should be taken to ensure this is so:
1. Perform a risk assessment to identify the hazards, the risks arising from those hazards, and the control measures you should use.
6. Make sure that the user of the equipment is trained to use it safely and can keep others safe.
7. Make sure the user knows which personal protective equipment to wear, how to use it, and make sure they do.
Check that the electrical equipment is suitable
- The equipment should be physically capable of doing the job, and designed and constructed so that mechanical and electrical stresses do not cause the equipment to become unsafe.
- If the environment is damp you may choose to use battery or air powered equipment, or equipment that operates at a reduced voltage such as that supplied by a transformer with an output that is centre tapped to earth (this halves the voltage between a live wire and earth). These are used in the construction industry and are readily available from hire shops.
- If there is the chance that there is an explosive atmosphere (containing flammable aerosols, vapours, gases or dusts) nearby you should ensure the work can be carried out safely and that the right equipment is chosen. (see information)
Check that the electrical equipment is in good condition
Many faults with work equipment can be found during a simple visual inspection:
- Switch off and unplug the equipment before you start any checks.
- Check that the plug is correctly wired (but only if you are competent to do so).
- Ensure the fuse is correctly rated by checking the equipment rating plate or instruction book.
- Check that the plug is not damaged and that the cable is properly secured with no internal wires visible.
- Check the electrical cable is not damaged and has not been repaired with insulating tape or an unsuitable connector. Damaged cable should be replaced with a new cable by a competent person.
- Check that the outer cover of the equipment is not damaged in a way that will give rise to electrical or mechanical hazards.
- Check for burn marks or staining that suggests the equipment is overheating.
- Position any trailing wires so that they are not a trip hazard and are less likely to get damaged.
If you are concerned about the safety of the equipment you should stop it from being used and ask a competent person to undertake a more thorough check.
Additional information on the visual inspection of electrical equipment is in the free guidance note Homeworking .
Additional regular inspections may be required where a risk assessment indicates this is necessary (such as where equipment is used in a harsh environment). These inspections should be performed by a competent person using suitable equipment, and often enough to ensure equipment does not become unsafe between the inspections.
The table below gives a list of suggested initial inspection intervals for different types of equipment. The combined inspection and test could be a Portable Appliance Test (PAT), or a detailed test with a more sophisticated instrument. You should make sure that the person carrying out the tests is trained and competent to do so. See the guidance booklet Maintaining portable and transportable electrical equipment for more information.
You may need to change how often inspections are being carried out if there are indications that equipment may become unsafe before the next inspection.
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Type of business
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User checks
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Formal visual inspection
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Combined inspection and test
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Equipment hire
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N/A
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Before issue/after return
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Before issue
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Construction (see Electrical safety on construction sites for more detail)
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110 V – Weekly 230 V mains – Daily/every shift
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110 V – Monthly 230 V – weekly
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110 V – Before first use on site then 3 monthly 230 V mains – Before first use on site then monthly
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Light industrial
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Yes
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Before initial use, then 6 monthly
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6 months to 1 year
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Heavy industrial/high risk of equipment damage
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Daily
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Weekly
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6 months to 1 year
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Office information technology eg desktop computers, photocopiers, fax machines
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No
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1 to 2 years
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None if double-insulated, otherwise up to 5 years
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Double insulated equipment not hand-held, eg fans,table lamps
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No
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2 to 3 years
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No
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Hand-held double insulated (Class II) equipment, eg some floor cleaners, kitchen equipment and irons
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Yes
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6 months to 1 year
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No
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Earthed (Class I) equipment, eg electric kettles, some floor cleaners
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Yes
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6 months to 1 year
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1 to 2 years
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Equipment used by the public, eg in hotels
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By member of staff
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3 months
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1 year
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Cables and plugs, extension leads
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Yes
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1 year
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2 years
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Check that the electrical equipment is suitable for the electrical supply
Make sure that the electrical equipment you are intending to use is suitable for the electrical supply to which you are connecting it. Check the voltage is correct and that the supply can deliver the current required by the equipment (the power requirements of the equipment will be shown on its rating plate).
Check the electrical supply is safe to use
You should be sure that the electrical supply is safe to use. Regular tests performed by a competent person, using suitable equipment are a good way of reducing risks. Where there is evidence that the supply may not be safe, such as damaged equipment or wiring, the supply should not be used until work has been done to correct this. Some simple user checks can be carried out on electrical socket outlets using an electrical socket tester, but it is essential that the correct type of tester is used . If any doubt remains regarding the safety of the electrical supply, a competent person should be consulted.
Use a Residual Current Device (RCD)
A Residual Current Device (RCD) can reduce the likelihood of an electrical injury but a shock can still cause very serious or fatal injuries, so an RCD should only be used as a secondary means of reducing the risk of people being injured by electricity. RCD’s are not designed to prevent the ignition of an explosive atmosphere and should not be used for this purpose.
The best place for an RCD is built into the main switchboard, as this means that the electrical supply is permanently protected. If this is not possible, an electrical socket outlet incorporating an RCD, or a plug in RCD adaptor, can also provide additional safety.
An RCD detects some, but not all, faults in the electrical system and rapidly switches off the supply, reducing the potential for injury caused by a common type of electric shock. To reduce the likelihood of injury to people the RCD should have a tripping current of not more than 30 milliamps (mA). RCDs with a higher tripping current are used to protect against fire.
Remember:
An RCD is a valuable safety device, never bypass it; if the RCD trips, it is a sign there is a fault. Check the system before using it again; if the RCD trips frequently and no fault can be found in the system, consult the manufacturer of the RCD; the RCD has a test button to check that its mechanism is free and functioning. Use this regularly.
If lighting circuits are protected by the same RCD that also protects other equipment, a fault that causes the RCD to trip will also result in the loss of lighting that could give rise to a number of risks (such as trips and falls or the dangers from moving machinery). You should perform a risk assessment to identify the effect of fitting an RCD to electrical circuits.
How do I know if my electrical equipment is safe?
You can find out if your electrical equipment is safe by carrying out suitable checks, such as inspection and/or testing. The level of inspection and/or testing should depend upon the risks. A simple visual inspection is likely to be sufficient for equipment used in a clean dry environment. In addition, equipment that is more likely to become damaged or is operated in a harsh environment, is likely to require more demanding electrical tests.
Checks should be carried out often enough that there is little chance the equipment will become unsafe before the next check. It is good practice to make a decision on how often each piece of equipment should be checked, write down the decision, make sure the check is carried out, and write down the results. You should change how often you carry out checks according to the number and severity of faults found.
The best way to find out if specialised equipment is safe, is to have it inspected and tested by a person with specific competence on the type of equipment. This may be the original manufacturer or his authorised service and repair agent. A reputable servicing company that deals with the type of equipment should also be competent to check its safety.
How do I know if my electrical installation is safe?
It is possible to do simple checks on your installation using an electrical socket tester. This is a device that can be plugged into a socket outlet, and can identify if there is a wiring fault. However, be aware that many types of socket tester cannot detect certain types of fault, and could indicate the socket is safe when it is not. Read the information provided by HSE on Electrical Socket Testers.
When should I use a residual current device?
It is advisable to use a residual current device (RCD) whenever possible but particularly in wet or damp locations such as outdoors. An RCD rated at no more than 30mA limits the energy in a particular type of electric shock and can save your life. However, an RCD cannot protect you from every type of electric shock, so you should still make sure that circuits are securely isolated before you work on them.
It is best to use an RCD that is incorporated into the switchboard of your installation. This means that all circuits fed from that RCD are protected by the RCD. An RCD that is incorporated into an ordinary mains socket, or plugged into it, will protect anything that is attached to that socket, but it is possible that equipment may be plugged into another, unprotected, socket.
RCDs should be regularly tested by pressing the ‘test’ button, and by making sure that the RCD trips. Faulty or inoperative RCDs should be removed from use.
RCDs rated above 30mA provide very limited protection against harm from an electric shock. See information on RCDs.
If you are using electrical equipment in particularly harsh conditions it is worth selecting lower voltage equipment powered by a transformer with an output centre tapped to earth, or powered by a battery.
How often should I test my electrical equipment?
'Electrical equipment should be visually checked to spot early signs of damage or deterioration. Equipment should be more thoroughly tested by a competent person often enough that there is little chance that the equipment will become dangerous between tests. Equipment that is used in a harsh environment should be tested more frequently than equipment that is less likely to become damaged or unsafe.
It is good practice to assess how often equipment being used for work purposes should be tested, write down your findings, make sure the testing is carried out, and write down the results of the tests.
How often should I get my electrical installation tested?
Electrical installations should be tested often enough that there is little chance of deterioration leading to danger. Any part of an installation that has become obviously defective between tests should be de-energised until the fault can be fixed.
It is possible to do simple checks on your installation using an electrical socket tester. This is a device that can be plugged into a socket outlet, and can identify if there is a wiring fault. However, be aware that many types of socket tester cannot detect certain types of fault, and could indicate the socket is safe when it is not. Read the information provided by HSE on Electrical Socket Testers.
The employers were prosecuted under The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (No 14), The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 (No 3) paragraph 1 and received a fine.
Electrical and Power
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BS 5266 Parts 1 to 7
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1981 -1999
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Code of practice for emergency lighting
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BS 5424 Parts 2 and 3, also IEC 60158 part 3
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1985 - 1988
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Specification for low voltage control gear
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BS 5839 Parts 1,3,5,6,8,9, Also PD6531:1997
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1988 - 2003
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Fire detection & alarm systems for buildings
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BS 6351 parts 1-3
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1983
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Electric surface heating
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BS 6423
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1983
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Code of practice for maintenance of electrical switchgear and controlgear for voltages up to and including 1 kV
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BS 6626
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1985
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Code of practice for maintenance of electrical switchgear and controlgear for voltages above l kV and up to and including 36 kV
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BS 7375
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1996
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Code of practice for distribution of electricity on construction and building sites
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BS 7430
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1998
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Code of practice for earthing
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BS 7671
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2008
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Requirements for electrical installations. IEE Wiring Regulations. Seventeenth edition
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BS EN 50110 Parts 1 and 2
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1997
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Operation of electrical installations
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BS EN 60529
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1992
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Specification for degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP code)
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BS EN 60947 Parts 1 to 7
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1992 - 2003
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Specification for low voltage switch gear and control gear
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Health and Safety Advice
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