How do I ensure the safety of electrical equipment?

How do I ensure the safety of electrical equipment?
■Encourage employees to look at the supply cable to the electrical equipment before they use it (user check).
■Encourage employees to look at electrical equipment before they use it (user check).
■Make sure that all portable equipment is visually inspected at initial interval which could be between six months and four years, depending on the type of equipment.
■Arrange for equipment that is not double insulated to have a portable appliance test (including leads) at initial intervals which could be between one and five years, depending on the type of equipment.
■Ensure that damaged or faulty equipment is recognised, removed from use without delay and either:
▬ repaired by someone competent (ie with suitable training, skills and knowledge for the task to prevent injury to themselves or others); or
▬ disposed of to prevent its further use – consult your local authority about arrangements for disposing of electrical equipment.
■Review your maintenance system to determine whether you could decrease or increase your inspection and/or testing intervals. You may find it useful to keep records of all inspections and tests, and to label equipment with the result and  date of the test, but there is no legal requirement to do either of these things.

User checks, visual inspection and portable appliance tests
User checks
 These should be carried out before most electrical equipment is used, with the
equipment disconnected. Employees should look for:
■damage to the lead including fraying, cuts or heavy scuffing, eg from floor box covers;
■damage to the plug, eg to the cover or bent pins;
■tape applied to the lead to join leads together;
■coloured wires visible where the lead joins the plug (the cable is not being gripped where it enters the plug);
■damage to the outer cover of the equipment itself, including loose parts or screws;
■signs of overheating, such as burn marks or staining on the plug, lead or piece of equipment;
■equipment that has been used or stored in unsuitable conditions, such as wet
or dusty environments or where water spills are possible; and
■cables trapped under furniture or in floor boxes.

Visual inspections
To carry out a visual inspection you don’t need to be an electrician, but you do
need to know what to look for and you must also have sufficient knowledge to
avoid danger to yourself and others.
Simple training can equip you (or a member of staff) with some basic electrical
knowledge to enable you to carry out a visual inspection competently.

As part of the visual inspection, you should consider whether:
■the electrical equipment is being used in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions;
■the equipment is suitable for the job;
■there has been any change of circumstances; and
■the user has reported any issues.
The visual inspection should include the checks carried out by the user and, where
possible, will include removing the plug cover and checking internally that:
■there are no signs of internal damage, overheating or water damage to the plug;
■the correct fuse is in use and it’s a proper fuse, not a piece of wire, nail etc;
■the wires including the earth, where fitted, are attached to the correct terminal
■the terminal screws are tight;
■the cord grip is holding the outer part (sheath) of the cable tightly; and
■no bare wire is visible other than at the terminals.
For equipment/cables fitted with moulded plugs only the fuse can be checked.



Earthed equipment and double insulated equipment
When deciding whether to test electrical equipment, you need to consider the type
of construction of the equipment in use. There are two basic types of electrical
equipment construction – Class I (earthed) and Class II (double insulated).

Earthed equipment
For safety reasons, Class I equipment has an earth connection. If there is a fault
within the equipment there is a possibility that the outside of the equipment could
cause an electric shock if the earth connection is not there. As a result, it is
recommended that Class I equipment has a portable appliance test to ensure the
earth connection is sound.

Double insulated equipment
Class II equipment is sometimes referred to as ‘double insulated’ equipment. This
means that there is extra insulation within the construction of the equipment to
prevent accidental contact with live parts, even if there is a fault.

Class II equipment does not need an earth connection to maintain safety. It will not
need a portable appliance test, although you should ensure that user checks and visual
inspections are carried out as the integrity of the equipment casing is a key safety feature.