Electrical health and safety tests costing too much
The HSE has announced another myth regarding electrical safety tests. Office-based businesses in the UK are spending about £30 million a year getting their portable electronic equipment and appliances tested each year. Not every device needs to be checked for health and safety issues each year. Rather, the testing is meant to take into consideration the risks that can be posed and using due diligence make certain that there are no risks concerning electrical devices. Low risk businesses such as offices, shops, and hotels do not have to undergo these excessive safety tests.
An employer is responsible for health and safety in that they must provide a safe working environment. They must conduct risk assessments to prevent danger, but not all appliances have to be tested. Doing a test on certain appliances and rotating them each year is perfectly safe. Companies should remove any appliances that have obvious signs of damage such as frayed cables. Appliances that are past their warranty or have defects need to be removed or tested with frequency.
The HSE will be publishing a guide about the safety tests for electrical appliances in the coming days to help companies understand what the regulations state and what they should be looking for. In a hotel for example, the house cleaner should be checking the appliances and if there is an issue, they see the appliance should be replaced. Additionally, managers of the risk management department should do spot inspections.
