Having spent many years in the electrical safety testing sector, our engineers are well versed in the hazards that can be encountered at work, whether that’s in your office, your factory, your surgery or your university, college or school.
In fact, there are several issues which crop up on a regular basis, and we’re keen to share these to help our existing and potential clients protect themselves while they’re working. Not only that, we’re also keen to help ensure that visitors, suppliers and other users of your site can do so in safety.
It’s worth remembering that any business must adhere to the Electricity at Work Regulations (1989) even if your place of work appears to be low risk.
No matter where it’s being used, any item of electrical equipment can be dangerous if it’s poorly maintained and has never been tested. Every year around one thousand electrical injuries are reported to the Health & Safety Executive, and around 30 people per annum die as a result of an electrical incident at work. Most common among these incidents are electrocution, electric shock and electrical burns, and the vast majority could be avoided with a regular schedule of fixed wire testing and PAT testing.
Among the most common issues that we come across, and that could be avoided, are the following:
- Frayed or loose cables: Any fraying can start to expose live electrical cables which can potentially deliver a shock or start a fire if they’re left unattended. These cables need to be replaced or repaired properly.
- Water: Electricity and water don’t go well together so it’s vital not to use any item of electrical equipment if there’s a possibility of it becoming wet.
- General damage: Inevitably, tools and equipment will deteriorate over time, and you shouldn’t continue to use them until a qualified electrician has inspected them and confirmed that they’re still fit for purpose.
- Smoke: When equipment is used, its temperature will inevitably rise, so if you detect a smell of burning then the item should be withdrawn from use immediately. And if it starts to smoke there’s a strong likelihood that that piece of equipment has reached the end of its natural life.
- Earthing: A really common fault that we uncover during testing relates to the earthing, where it’s either incorrect or even non-existent. The earth is what makes the electrical equipment safe to use so much be correctly installed as a matter of urgency.
- Sockets: Whatever the size of your workplace, it can be tempting to make do with the sockets you have and use extension cables to accommodate all your equipment. This is a false economy, because overloaded sockets are frequently the cause of electrical fires – adding more sockets may require a little investment but it genuinely can save lives.
- Fuses: They may be small, but fuses play a crucial role in electrical safety and our testing ensures that the correct ones are installed in all your appliances.
At MS Electrical we specialise in commercial fixed wire testing and PAT testing in Cambridge. Please contact us for advice or to request a no-obligation quotation to help keep your electrical safety in check.