WTC PAT and the Law

The safe use of electricity in the workplace is legislated for in law. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, section 2, requires a general duty of care from employers to their employees. It also requires employees to be vigilant and use work equipment safely. It requires, in essence, 'The provision and maintenance of plant and systems at work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health.' The requirements of the Act are general and apply to a wide range of activities.

Then comes the 1989 Electricity at Work Regulations.

The purpose of this legislation is to prevent injury and/or death by electric shock in connection with work activities.

Regulation 4 of the Act states:

'All Systems shall at all times be of such construction as to prevent, as far as is reasonably practicable, danger.'

'As may be necessary to prevent danger, all systems shall be maintained so as to prevent, as far as reasonably practicable, such danger.'

'Every work activity, including operation, use and maintenance of a system and work near a system, shall be carried out in such a manner as not to give rise, (so far as is reasonably practicable), to danger.'

'Any equipment provided under these regulations for the purpose of protecting persons at work on or near electrical equipment shall be suitable for the use for which it is provided, be maintained in a condition suitable for that use and be properly used.'

In the Electricity at Work Regulations, everything from a battery operated radio to the national grid is included, so all appliances used in businesses are most certainly covered by this Act. The law requires that all work equipment and all electrical appliances are maintained in a safe and serviceable manner so as to prevent danger to those using the equipment. There are specific requirements for the strength of insulation and earth bonding that need to be checked on appliances, and also the provision of means of isolation.

This is a very powerful piece of legislation and failure to comply with it can mean severe penalities in terms of fines and/or imprisonment.

The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, mandatory since 1 January 1997

This act refers to equipment supplied by landlords/letting agents to tenants. It applies to both new and second hand equipment. It places a duty of care on the landlord/agent to make sure that the appliances they are supplying are safe to use. It applies equally to portable and fixed equipment, such as cookers, heaters, immersion heaters and showers.

Having read all that you may be wondering what Appliance testing has to do with it, and you may well have seen the connection. It boils down to this: The law requires electrical systems to be maintained in a safe manner. How would you know they were unsafe unless they were tested for safety? The law does not specifically state the need for appliance testing, but it's obvious that testing is required to ascertain the serviceability of appliances and wiring.