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The need to risk assess is well known in the
workplace. Key elements of any assessment should be
that the public and employees are protected as best as possible.
Risks
should be adequately and appropriately reduced. People must understand that
risk assessment is necessary to
prevent people being
injured in the workplace.
One of the most regulated areas concerns the
control of electrical appliances and the need to test and maintain them. The
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
impose a
duty on all people in the workplace (employers, employees, self employed
etc) to take precautions against risk of injury or death arising out of the
use of electrical equipment.
The easiest
way for an employer to reduce risks of electrical breakdown is to have their
equipment undergo regular
portable appliance testing. This helps to ensure that the equipment in
the work environment (whether this be an office, building site or factory
etc) is as safe as possible and free from defects or flaws that might lead
to an incident occurring.
Fixed wiring
also needs to be tested and usually this must be done every few years.
The
legislation suggests that precautions must be taken. If you are an employer,
a landlord, a business person who comes into contact with the public - you
may well need to be PAT tested. Speak to a health & Safety expert to
determine the extent of your liability and obligations.
Employers
should also organise a regular system of
Fixed Installation Testing pursuant to IEE regulations. Many firms are
ignoring this test and the consequences could be grave.
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