Electrical Safety Precautions

When using electrical portable appliances access should be available to the socket outlets so that equipment can be easily disconnected in an emergency such as an electrical fault or even fire.

If any electrical equipment is found to be faulty or suspect it should be taken out of service and not used until it has been deemed safe by a competent person such as a qualified PAT testing engineer.

There should be a sufficient number of socket outlets provided for the environment e.g. offices, daisy chaining extension leads or using too many adapters can cause socket outlets to overheat and even cause fires.

If electrical appliances are found to have damaged plugs e.g. cracked, they should be replaced by a competent person. All plugs should comply with BS1363 and all fuses should comply with BS 1362.

Fixed machinery should have its own accessible and clearly labeled power supply so that in the event of an emergency it can be isolated from the mains.

Precautions should be made when working in a flammable or explosive environment with electrical equipment. The equipment used should be designed to prevent ignition.

Where possible high load electrical equipment should not be left on for long periods of time or overnight for example portable heaters.

Prior to maintenance or cleaning of electrical equipment the appliance should be first turned off and unplugged.

Any workers using electrical equipment should be fully trained, supervised and assed to check that they are competent to use such equipment.

Insulation tape must never be used to repair a damaged cable or flex and would fail a visual PAT testing inspection, instead the cable should be replaced or shortened beyond the damage and the plug refitted, this should only be done if the cable is safe for use and not causing obstructions.

An electrical appliance cable or flex should be in good condition, if it is worn or damaged it should be replaced.

Portable equipment used outdoors should only be used with an RCD and is required to have a residual operating current not exceeding 30mA.

Safety guards on machinery should be in place and not taken off, appliance covers such as the side panels of a computer should be in place, to minimise the risk of an accident, attention should be paid to areas where damage may result in live parts becoming exposed.

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