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And many deaths and injuries arise from:
- use of poorly maintained electrical equipment;
- work near overhead power lines;
- contact with underground power cables during excavation work;
- mains electricity supplies (230 volt);
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- use of unsuitable electrical equipment in explosive areas such as car paint spraying booths;
- Fires started by poor electrical installations and faulty electrical appliances cause many additional deaths and injuries.
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(Information taken from the HSE website
http://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/index.htm ).
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Therefore it is important to put in as many preventative methods as possible. To do this regular pat tests and checks should be carried out on all equipment visually and using a pat tester to make sure that it is in good condition.
The HSE recommends that initial inspection intervals for different types of equipment should be undertaken. The combined inspection and test could be a Portable Appliance Test (PAT), or a detailed test with a more sophisticated instrument. You should make sure that the person carrying out the tests is trained and competent to do so.” (HSE Website) |
A person can be deemed as competent if they have undertaken some kind of course or training on the subject. You can either have someone internal to your organisation who knows how to carry out pat testing or alternatively you can hire a professional pat tester from an external pat testing provider.
The HSE recommends different regimes for testing different types of equipment and how the equipment is used. For more information on this visit their site at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/electricequip.htm#suitable
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