All-Gym Safety Services Ltd
This policy sets out All-Gym Safety Services procedures and guidance for electrical safety which includes the management, maintenance and safe use of electrical equipment and systems on client premises and workplaces.
There are many sources of electrical energy within the workplace, from small batteries in electronic systems, through to power distribution systems at extra low voltage (ELV), low voltage (LV), high voltage (HV) and up to static electricity and lighting. Variations in the voltage, current and the frequency of the electricity affects the way in which the electrical energy will act, but basically there are common dangers associated with all the different forms of electricity.
Each year many people die from electric shock or from burns received from an electric shock at work. An electrical accident may result in a fatal electric shock, serious injury, or a major fire affecting the whole premises. Most electrical accidents occur because people are working on or near electrical equipment:
Significant percentage of fires in workplaces are either started by electrical faults or the misuse of electricity. Fires may be started by:
Overheating of electrical equipment/systems due to overloading.
Equipment Provider – The Equipment Provider should provide assurance to the customer that all electrical systems / equipment, installed / commissioned for which they have ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities for is regularly inspected and maintained to the correct standard.
Heads of Establishments – Heads of Establishment should ensure that where the infrastructure or equipment is managed, owned and/or maintained by a third-party organisation (e.g., Maintenance Management Organisation (MMO), project team, external contractor) that the point of demarcation (and responsibility) is agreed (e.g., at the equipment isolator switch, domestic supply wall socket, the plug itself or power distribution board), and is clearly defined and documented. The HoE should ensure that effective two-way communication exists with any such thirdparty organisations to provide assurances that all electrical systems and/or installed equipment is regularly inspected and maintained to the correct standard. Suitable procedures should be put in place to identify; inspect; test and maintain electrical equipment/systems not managed by third party organisations and maintain records of formal tests/inspections of any such electrical equipment/systems. The procedures should include the isolation/removal and reporting of defective portable and fixed electrical equipment/systems on the establishment.
The planned maintenance, inspection and test regime should be risk based (minimum frequencies/requirements as below). Any defective items should be removed from service and/or secured and identified as ‘unsafe, do not use’. Inspection and testing can be performed simultaneously and should be carried out:
The decision to allow personal portable electrical equipment and appliances to be used on the establishment rests with the HoE and should be clearly defined as to where is allowed with control measures if required. The policy should define what is and what is not covered in the scope of personal electrical equipment and any restrictions on their use. In an office, mobile phone or e-book should be out of scope; however, in an explosive atmosphere they may be classified as electrical equipment and their use prohibited. The charger for a mobile phone or e-book which plugs into the mains should be included as personal electrical equipment and subject to inspection. Local procedures should, where appropriate, include the use of adaptors for electrical equipment with different plugs or voltages to the host nation domestic electrical system.
Managers – Managers should ensure that for all areas, personnel under their control, risk assessments should consider the potential electrical hazards that may arise when working on or using electrical equipment/systems due to damage, age, history, users, the environment in which it is installed/used etc. and that suitable and sufficient control measures (Safe Systems of Work, permits to work, etc.) are in place. The frequency and regime to which electrical equipment/systems are inspected/tested should be established (based on a combination of risk and where appropriate the table at annex A, and in line with local procedures). All relevant electrical equipment/systems should be made readily available for inspection/testing in accordance with the policy procedure. Any inspection/test only identifies that a piece of electrical equipment is safe to use at the time of that inspection/test. To ensure ongoing electrical safety, managers should ensure that personnel using electrical equipment routinely check that there is no visible damage to the equipment or leads before use.
Only competent persons (or, if in training, under supervision of a competent person) are allowed to maintain electrical equipment/systems (having sufficient knowledge, training, experience, and ability, and where appropriate, qualified). The type of training that should be considered includes, but is not limited to:
Inspection and test will determine whether equipment/systems are fully serviceable or if remedial action is necessary. Some extra low voltage or battery-operated equipment does not require testing; however, mains operated battery chargers may need to be subject to test/inspection.
All Personnel – All personnel should comply with all information, instruction and training provided by managers, local procedures and with manufacturers safety instructions for the safe use of electrical equipment/systems. Personnel should perform routine user visual checks ensuring that any suspected electrical faults are reported to their manager, the equipment taken out of service until it has been examined by a competent person and passed inspection/testing, as appropriate. Portable electrical equipment should be plugged into the nearest suitable socket to avoid over stretching of the equipment’s cable and in the event of an emergency for it to be easily disconnected from the power supply. Sockets should not be overloaded; an extension lead of appropriate length may be used but only for temporary operations. Extension leads should be subject to the same inspection regime as applied to portable electrical equipment; unless they form an integral part of a static cable management system (e.g., built into a fixed desk) that is subject to a defined inspection schedule. Under no circumstances should personnel change, modify or bypass safety related devices (e.g., fuses, circuit breakers or Residual Current Devices (RCDs)) as these are there to reduce the risk of harm to the user and/or protect the electrical system from overloading. Portable equipment used outdoors should always be plugged into an RCD protected socket. Personnel should not modify, or use modified electrical equipment provided for use at work unless the modification has been authorised and carried out and tested by a competent person. Where personal electrical equipment is permitted to be used on at the establishment all personnel should comply with local policy relating to its use, testing and inspection as applicable.
Risk assessments and associated documents should be retained for a minimum of three years and available for audit purposes. Where an incident has occurred in relation to electrical equipment / systems, the testing certificate, risk assessments and all documentation should be retained for five years in the case that they may be required in a court of law.
Legislation and Guidance
| Equipment / Envrinment | Daily User Visual Checks | Formal Visual Inspection | Combined Inspection & Test |
| Power leadsm Extension leads, Plugs and cables | Yes | As per category used with below | As per category used with below |
| Heavy Industrial use, high risk of equipment damage, E.G. circular saws and angle grinders | Yes | Yes Weekly |
Yes 6-12 Months |
| Residual Current Divices (RCDs) | Yes Functional Test (socket outlet & portable RCDs) |
Yes Weekly |
Yes 6-12 Months |
| Light industrial use, e.g. bench mounted diagnostic and tet equipment | Yes | Yes 6 months |
Yes 6-12 Months |
| Earthed equipment (Class 1): e.g. electric kettles, some floor cleaners | Yes | Yes 6 months - 1 Year |
Yes 1-2 Years |
| Hard wired equipment: cooker, engineering workshop machines (e.g. lathe or power press) | Yes | Yes 1 year |
Yes 1-5 years |
| Information Technology: e.g. desktop computers, VDU Screens | No | Yes 2-4 years or after recongiguration |
Yes 1-5 years if not double insulated |
| Fixed systmens and earthed equipment only moved occasionally NOT hand-held e.g. photocopiers and fridges. | No | Yes 1-4 Years |
Yes 1-5 Years |
| Double Insulated equipment frequently moved or hand-held e.g. Phone/laptop chargers, irons, hair dryers. | Yes | Yes 6 months - 1 Year |
No |
| Double Insulated Moved occasionally, Not hand-held e.g. fans, table lamps, slide projectors | No | Yes 2-4 Years |
No |
| Battery operated (less than 40 volts) | No | No | No |
| Extra low voltage: (less than 50 volts AC) e.g. telephone equipment, low voltage desk lights | No | No | No |
