| The maze of regulations and rules surrounding | | | | will be deemed to have committed a criminal |
| businesses can be blinding at the best of | | | | offence. Insurers will not pay fines or |
| times, but the last thing you want to do is | | | | compensation suffered resulting from a |
| break a rule that is easy to put in place. | | | | criminal offenceCompared to the hassle and |
| Whether you're a new business owner, or | | | | possible costs of a problem developing, |
| manager of an established business with new | | | | getting your installations and appliances |
| equipment, electrical safety in the workplace | | | | tested is easy and normally quite |
| is one requirement that can be easily | | | | affordable.The IEE recommend that Electrical |
| fulfilled.While the law does not require | | | | Installations are tested every 10 years (for |
| electrical testing to be carried out, it does | | | | domestic), 5 years (for commercial) or 3 |
| require your electrical equipment to be safe | | | | years (for industrial). Depending on the |
| at all times. | | | | risk-rating for a particular item, Portable |
| | | | Appliance Testing should be carried out every |
| Electricity will always find the easiest | | | | 3-24 months. High risk items include site |
| path to earth. Any faults or weaknesses | | | | equipment and workshop equipment, often |
| within your electrical installation or | | | | involved in heavy workloads under arduous |
| portable appliances can go undetected. In the | | | | conditions, and far more likely to develop a |
| event of another fault developing, this could | | | | fault in a shorter period of time than office |
| lead to serious risk of fire, electrocution | | | | equipment.Worries over power-interruptions |
| or death. For example, a 13-amp ring-main | | | | and work disruption can be eased, as |
| without earth continuity could render all | | | | electrical testing rarely causes such delays. |
| metal parts of appliances plugged into it | | | | A short power outage can be expected on each |
| "LIVE" if one item on the ring developed a | | | | circuit within the system as testing is |
| fault to earth.In 1989 The Electricity at | | | | carried out, but because most of the testing |
| Work Regulations came into force, which | | | | is carried out whilst the system is still |
| clarifies the need to maintain electrical | | | | live, these outages can be planned around |
| systems safely. Regulations require that "all | | | | your daily activities.When choosing an |
| electrical tools and equipment used by | | | | Electrical Testing Surveyor or other |
| construction workers must be safe to use" and | | | | contractor to carry out your tests, ensure |
| that "any electric tools hired out to | | | | they charge by circuit numbers and not floor |
| end-users must be safe to use". In the | | | | space (which has no bearing on how much |
| workplace the regulations specify that | | | | circuitry there may or may not be in any |
| employers take steps to limit the risk of | | | | given square foot). Also ensure you are going |
| harm from electricity and electrical systems, | | | | to receive proper and elaborative reports and |
| and this includes both electrical | | | | paperwork for your reports, to give you ample |
| installations and electrical equipment. | | | | documentation for your efforts. |
| | | | |
| These regulations apply to most electrical | | | | It is also a good idea to look for a company |
| equipment - consumer, commercial and | | | | that holds a certificate from the UKAS |
| industrial - operating between 50 volts and | | | | (United Kingdom Accreditation Service), |
| 1,000 volts AC or between 75 volts and 1,500 | | | | ensuring they are accredited with the |
| volts DC.The only way to ensure every effort | | | | appropriate qualifications and standards for |
| is made towards a safe workplace, and to | | | | the job. |
| ensure you can back up your hard work if | | | | |
| things go wrong, is to have regular | | | | Finding such a qualified professional to |
| electrical testing carried out on all the | | | | carry out your electrical testing satisfies |
| electrical equipment at your workplace. This | | | | all of the legal requirements for your |
| will accurately identify faults, their | | | | workplace, and covers you and your employees |
| locations and usually the recommended | | | | for the future in the eyes of the law - |
| solution.Increasingly, insurers are insisting | | | | subject, of course, to any remedial work |
| that inspection and testing be carried out on | | | | requirements being addressed as identified by |
| a regular basis. If you suffer an avoidable | | | | testing. |
| accident, then under law if found guilty you | | | | |