When we’re at work it can be tempting to think that electrical safety isn’t something that will affect us unduly as we’re only there during working hours and it’s probably someone else’s responsibility. Unfortunately, though, turning a blind eye to electrical safety in your workplace can result in injury and even death.
In general, offices themselves are relatively low risk when it comes to electrical safety, but the risks do increase in industrial environments such as manufacturing and production. The main areas that can cause concern in an office setting are as follows:
- Electrical equipment that has been badly installed or maintained
- Faulty wiring
- Overloaded sockets
- Damaged extension leads
It’s also possible that the wrong type of fuse may have been used, team members may forget to dry their hands fully before touching electrical equipment or a piece of machinery that was assumed to be dead is actually still live.
All employers have a legal obligation – laid out in the Installing and Maintaining Safe Equipment Under the Electricity at Work Regulations (1989) – to ensure that all electrical installations and equipment at their premises are fit for purpose and safe to use. The equipment should be correctly installed and maintained, and in particular should have been thoroughly checked before being brought onto the site. In addition, regular checks – and if necessary repairs – should be carried out by a competent person. It’s also advisable to hold regular training sessions to ensure that all members of staff – and especially new starters – understand how they can help to keep your workplace safe.
In reality it’s impossible to operate any workplace without some wear and tear to electrical items. Common faults in this area include the following:
- Frayed cables
- Exposed wires
- Plugs that rattle when shaken
- A burning smell
- Equipment that overheats when used
- Overloaded extension leads
Should you or your employees discover any of the above, it’s important that they are repaired, replaced or – in the case of faulty equipment – thrown away immediately. It’s also good practice to switch off computers, appliances and other equipment at the end of each day and to avoid forcing a plug into a socket if it doesn’t fit comfortably. Practical measures such as avoiding running cables in areas with high traffic or beneath rugs or carpets can also prevent wear and injury.
For Mark Smith, owner of MS Electrical Services, even a basic understanding of electrical safety within the workplace can be a lifesaver. ‘To some degree everyone has a responsibility to help their management team to keep their place of work as safe as possible,’ comments Mark. ‘It’s likely that any member of staff will regularly use and have access to a range of machinery, equipment and appliances at work but it’s not unusual for them not to have received any training in how to ensure they remain safe to use. We’d encourage any employer to incorporate electrical safety training into their onboarding process and ensure that they are up-to-date with their PAT testing and fixed wire testing. Equipment and appliances inevitably deteriorate over time, so it’s not something to be ignored.’
MS Electrical offer PAT testing and fixed wire testing in Cambridge. Should you have any concerns about your electrical safety, please contact us for advice or to request a no-obligation quotation.