pat testing - an issue that affects us all
Thursday, August 7th, 2008———-
After I worked in the facilities subdivision for a national company, I became aware of the UK Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 which requires that “every employer shall ensure that work equipment is so constructed or adopted as to be suitable for the purpose for which it is used or provided”.
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1998 says, “As may be necessary to prevent danger, all systems shall be maintained so as to prevent so far as reasonably practicable, such danger.”
This means that employers (and the self-employed) have a duty of care to make sure that all electrical work gear is safe, appropriate for the purpose and correctly kept in good order. PAT testing (Portable Appliance Testing) is the finest route you can fulfil this responsibility.
The primary things Fire Officers and Health & Safety Inspectors usually request to view on any check up call is PAT records. There are a number of extra explanations why appliances could be tested on a frequent basis with the most important ones being:
Meet the terms of the Electricity at Work Regulations
Meet the terms of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations
Reduce the hazard of fire and injury caused by electrical appliances (Each 12 months about 1000 mishaps at work involving electric shock or burns are reported to the Health and Safety Executive. Around 30 of these are fatal).
To please your Insurance Company
Meet the terms of all Health & Safety requirements and ISO standards
Meet the terms of Quality Assurances
To meet your Fire Risk Assessment compliance
The suggestions prior to this are guidelines that are sensible for any owner to adhere to, as litigation consultants form more a part of business life. It took a couple of days for the PAT testing business to come round and check all of the PC,s, Scanners, Faxes and Photocopiers and this was in a firm of 500 people.
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