Compliance Testing Ltd

Legislation - HSE Related Information

Each year about 1000 accidents at work involving electric shock or burns are reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Even non-fatal shocks can cause severe and permanent injury. Shocks from faulty equipment may lead to falls from ladders, scaffolds or other work platforms.

The main hazards of faulty electrical equipment including appliances are identified as follows:

  • Contact with live parts can cause shock, burns and even death (normal mains voltage, 230 volts AC, can kill);
  • Faulty appliances could cause fires; which may also cause death or injury to others.
  • Fire or explosion could occur where a faulty electrical appliance becomes the ignition source in a flammable or explosive atmosphere.

Legal Requirements

There is a requirement to inspect and test all types of electrical appliances.

The combination of the HSW Act 1974, the PUWER 1998 and the EAW Regulations 1989 apply to all electrical equipment and appliances used in, or associated with, places of work.

Employer / Employee Responsibilities

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) requires every employer to ensure work equipment be efficiently maintained and kept fit and suitable for its intended purpose. This means that regular, routine and planned maintenance regimes (e.g. Portable Appliance Testing programme) must be implemented to avoid the hazards that can arise from deteriorating electrical appliances as previously identified above.

Regulation 3 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 recognises a responsibility that employers and many employees have for electrical systems.

Landlord Responsibilities

Anyone who lets residential accommodation (such as houses, flats and bedsits, holiday homes, caravans and boats) as a business activity is required by law to ensure the equipment they supply as part of the tenancy is safe.

The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 requires that all mains electrical equipment (cookers, washing machines, kettles, etc), new or second-hand, supplied with the accommodation must be safe. Landlords therefore need to regularly maintain the electrical equipment they supply to ensure it is safe.

Who should carry out the Inspection and Testing?

The IEE Code of Practice states, those carrying out the inspection and testing must be competent to undertake the inspection. A competent person is defined as - 'A person possessing sufficient technical knowledge or experience to be capable of ensuring that injury is prevented.'

Training and Qualifications

Compliance Testing Ltd Engineers are qualified in the City & Guilds 2377 course 'In Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment' which has been designed jointly by the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE) and City & Guilds to assess competency.