Maintaining electrical equipment safely

Electrical equipment has certainly made our work and home lives easier. But while we are prone to relying on such equipment, it is important to conduct regular maintenance to ensure the equipment can be used safely. Failure to do so can lead to terrible consequences: in 2015/16, 1,665 fatalities and injuries were recorded in England and Wales as a result of electrical fires, reported Electrical Safety First. In Scotland, there were 598 casualties and nine fatalities in 2016 alone due to electrical fires.

This article will cover the laws and regulations surrounding the maintenance of electrical equipment. From checks you can carry out to preventative measures, read on to ensure your equipment is safe to use.

Maintenance — the law

According to the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, so far as reasonably practical, all electrical equipment needs to be maintained in order to reduce the risk of danger. Both portable equipment and installations are covered here, while the phrase ‘so far as reasonably practicable’ means that you are not required to remove every risk, but do everything expected to protect people from harm.

The law doesn’t state how frequently this must be done, or indeed, how you go about it. However, you can determine the level of maintenance which is needed by considering the risk which will be attached to the gadget becoming faulty. For instance, will the level of risk increase if an item that becomes faulty, meaning that it’s no longer suitable for the job? Or, is it being operated in a harsh environment?

The frequency of your checks may well change depending on the equipment. For example, according to leading stairlift manufacturers, stairlift servicing should be performed at least once a year, whether it is a stairlift for curved stairs or straight stairs. This will help to prevent any serious problems from developing and also prolong the life of the equipment. In general though, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states: "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."

Checks to carry out

It is best to have your electrical equipment inspected by a registered electrician. Electrical Safety First has a great resource for finding a registered electrician in your area who is part of a government-approved scheme.

You can keep on top of your electrical maintenance with a few checks of your own. Here’s how to go about undertaking this particular check:

1. Ensure the electrical equipment has been switched off and unplugged before carrying out any checks.
2. Begin the checks by looking to see if the plug is correctly wired. The HSE has a handy visual of a correctly wired plug in its guide to maintaining portable electrical equipment in low-risk environments, though seek out assistance if you don’t feel competent doing this check.
3. Consult either the equipment rating plate or the device’s instruction book to make sure that the fuse is correctly rated.
4. Look to see if the plug is damaged in any way, as well as if the cable is not properly secured. No internal wires should be visible either.
5. Ensure the electrical cable isn’t damaged. Take note that cables should not have been repaired using an unsuitable connector or insulating tape, while any damaged cable needs to be replaced with a new cable — the work of which must be performed by a competent person.
6. Determine if the outer cover of the electrical equipment has been damaged in a manner that gives rise to either electrical or mechanical hazards.
7. See if there are any burn marks or staining on the device. If so, these could indicate that the gadget is prone to overheating.
8. As well as analysing the actual equipment as part of the visual inspection, also check that any trailing wires from the device aren’t causing a trip hazard. By eliminating this hazard, you’ll reduce the risk of the gadget becoming damaged.

The HSE advises on the topic that: "Checks should be carried out often enough to ensure there is little chance the equipment will become unsafe between checks.

"It is good practice to make a decision on how often each piece of equipment should be checked, write this down, make sure checks are carried out accordingly and write down the results. You should change how often you carry out checks, according to the number and severity of faults found."

Dealing with unsafe electrical equipment

If you encounter any unsafe electrical equipment during your checks, it is crucial that you act accordingly in order to prevent injury. Aim to switch off the gadget as well, but only if it’s safe to do so. From there, seek out help from a competent person so that they can carry out a more thorough check. Approved contractors are available from each of the following organisations:

• The National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC)
• The Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA)
• The National Association for Professional Inspectors and Testers (NAPIT)
• The Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland (SELECT)

If you do not have ownership of the device in question, contact its owner in order to deal with the issues found. A contact telephone number is often attached to electrical distribution poles, pylons and equipment, for instance, though you can also get in touch with the HSE or a local authority for assistance.

James is an Outreach Executive at Mediaworks Online Marketing and covers a number of clients across a wide range of business sectors, helping them to grow their online portfolios through engaging content.