Subject: Electrical Safety

SUBJECT: ELECTRICAL SAFETY

1.0  Introduction

1.1  The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 requires electrical ‘systems’ (which includes electrical equipment) to be, “so far as is reasonably practicable”, constructed, maintained and used in a way as to prevent danger.

1.2  The purpose of this procedure therefore is to help protect individuals against the risk of injury from electricity and ensure compliance with legislative requirements.

2.0  Scope

2.1 This procedure applies to the main day-to-day use of electrically powered items within the University of South Wales Group, where the electrical supply to the equipment is at a voltage that can give a fatal electrical shock, i.e. more than 50 volts ac or 120 volts dc.

2.2 Faculties or Departments using more specialist equipment e.g. high voltage, i.e. above 1,000 volts ac or 1,500 volts dc), or carrying out more specialist activities e.g. repair or modification of equipment, must have their own specific policies and procedures to adequately manage the risks involved.

3.0  References

3.1 The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Wiring Regulations BS7671

3.2 The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998

3.3 The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989

3.4 www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/faq-portable-appliance-testing.htm

3.5 HSG 107 Maintaining portable electrical equipment (3rd Edition 2013)

4.0 Definitions

For the purpose of this procedure, the following definitions apply:

Electrical System / Any component able to carry an electric current.
Injury / Death, electric shock, electric burn, fires of electrical origin, electric arcing, explosions initiated or caused by electricity.
Incident / Fires of electrical origin, electric arcing, explosions initiated or caused by electricity.
Competent Person / A person who has the necessary technical knowledge experience and/or training to carry out the proposed range of activities on the various categories of electrical equipment and circuits.
Portable Appliance / Equipment that is:
·  intended to be connected to a generator or a fixed installation by means of a flexible cable and either a plug and socket or a spur box, or similar means
·  either hand-held or hand-operated while connected to the supply
·  intended to be moved while connected to the supply, or likely to be moved while connected to the supply
Including:
·  extension leads, plugs and sockets, and cord sets that supply portable equipment
·  appliances which have been fixed for security purpose such as those in public areas of hotels and changing rooms, e.g. kettles, hairdryers, hand dryers, lamps etc.
Combined inspection and test (PAT) / An appropriate series of tests designed to identify the electrical deterioration and potential failure of the apparatus.
Formal Visual Inspection / A systematic visual inspection of portable electrical appliance, conducted by a competent person, that checks for defects either as part of a portable appliance test or as part of a separate inspection schedule.
User Checks / A routine visual inspection that checks for signs of damage to the item of equipment, its lead and plug, by the user prior to its use.
Earthed Equipment (Class I) / Equipment whose safety relies on the effective earthing of any exposed conductive parts which otherwise could result in the exterior of the equipment becoming live in the event of a fault.
Double insulated equipment (Class II) / Equipment that is constructed with high-integrity insulation, indicated by the ‘double square’ symbol shown, which does not have nor need an earth connection to maintain safety. If this symbol is not shown, it must be assumed the electrical equipment is a Class I appliance.
Fixed Electrical Installations / Equipment and components used to distribute electrical power safely to all plant, equipment and appliances.

5.0 Procedure

5.1 Responsibilities

5.1.1 The Director of Estates & Facilities is responsible for ensuring that the fixed electrical installations within University premises is installed and maintained in a safe condition and that new installations/alterations will be subject to inspection and test in accordance with BS7671.

5.1.2 Deans of Faculty, Directors of Departments, Line Managers must ensure that relevant students and staff within their area of control are aware of the requirements of this policy and that all items of electrical equipment used complies with relevant legislative standards, approved codes of practice and guidance.

5.1.3 The Director of Campus Services is responsible for ensuring that residential students and guests are provided with the information outlined in Appendix A.

5.1.4 All students and staff using items of electrical equipment must use it correctly, only for tasks for which it has been designed and in a manner that is safe. They must further ensure:

·  it is appropriate for the intended work

·  it is appropriate for the location in which it is to be used

·  a user check is carried out before use

5.1.5 No person must use any item of electrical equipment, or carry out any work involving electricity, unless authorised to do so and appropriate information, instruction and training has been received.

5.1.6 No person must attempt to modify or repair any item of electrical equipment, nor set-up electrical systems and apparatus unless suitably trained and qualified or under appropriate supervision for the purpose of training.

5.1.7 No items of personal equipment must be used on University premises unless it is in a good state of repair and used in the manner for which it is intended. Any item that develops a fault must be withdrawn from use.

5.1.8 The Deans of Faculty/Directors of Department are responsible for ensuring:

·  items of machinery and equipment connected to fixed electrical installations for use by staff/students within their area of control, are maintained in accordance with any statutory requirements and/or manufacturers instructions

·  staff, and where appropriate students, receive information, instruction, training and supervision appropriate to the equipment used and work carried out

·  an itinerary of portable electrical equipment is established and kept up-to-date

·  items are available for portable appliance testing when required

·  appropriate persons are appointed, and where necessary suitably trained, to undertake formal visual inspections of portable electrical equipment as outlined by Table 1 below:

Table 1 Suggested maintenance intervals (based on HSG 107)

Equipment/Environment / User checks / Formal Visual Inspection / Combined Inspection & Testing (PAT)
Mains powered equipment loaned to students / No / Before issue / After return / 1 year
Battery operated:
(Less than 20 volts) / No / No / No
Extra Low Voltage (Less than 50 volts AC) e.g. telephone, low voltage desk lights etc. / No / No / No
High risk of damage to electrical equipment. / Yes / Yes / 1 year
Office equipment rarely moved, e.g. desktop computers, photocopiers, fax machines etc. / No / Yes 2 years / No if double insulated otherwise up to 5 years
Double Insulated Equipment:
NOT hand held, moved occasionally e.g. fans, table lamps, projectors etc. / Yes / Yes 3 years / No
Double Insulated Equipment:
Hand Held e.g. some floor cleaners, some kitchen equipment and irons etc. / Yes / Yes 6 months / No
Earthed Equipment (Class 1) e.g. electric kettles, some floor cleaners, some kitchen equipment and irons etc. / Yes / Yes 6 months / Yes 1 year
Cables, leads and plugs connected to Class I equipment, extension leads and battery charging equipment / Yes / 1 year / 2 years
Residual Current Device (RCD) / Yes before each use / Appropriate test by competent person at intervals not exceeding 1 year

Note The frequencies in Table 1 may need to be reduced, for example:

·  if shown or suggested by risk assessment

·  if equipment is subject to frequent or heavy use

·  if equipment has been dropped, bumped or damage is otherwise suspected

·  if equipment has been exposed to an environment for which it has not been designed

5.1.9 Any person becoming aware of an item of electrical equipment being exposed to a condition which might have caused damage or made it unsafe, for example being dropped or having liquid spilled on it, must follow the requirements of section 5.10 of this procedure.

5.1.10 Any student or member of staff who may be unsure about any aspect of working with electricity or using electrical equipment, must discuss their concerns with an appropriate person before carrying out the work or using the item(s) in question.

5.2 Suitability and Use

5.2.1 Items of electrical equipment must only be used for work for which it has been designed and provided, and in environments for which it is suitable.

5.2.2 All electrical components and equipment provided must meet the relevant E. U. standards or equivalent in its country of origin.

5.2.3 No item of electrical equipment must be used in environments that would make its use unsafe e.g. outdoors, unless it has been specifically designed for such use.

5.3 Live Working

5.3.1 In accordance with the Electricity at Work Regulations, no person must work on any live electrical equipment unless it is absolutely necessary to do so, appropriate information, instruction and training has been received and the necessary legislative requirements for such work can be met.

5.4 Contractors

5.4.1 To help ensure no person comes into contact with hidden live electrical services or is exposed to asbestos fibres, no external contractors must be engaged for work that involves disturbance of the fabric of any building, structure or grounds without input from the Estates and Facilities Department.

5.4.2 The engagement of contractors must be in accordance with University procedure OHSS 02.06 Control of Contractors and any electrical safety requirements considered as part of this process.

5.5 Portable Electrical Appliances

5.5.1 In order to appropriately manage the hazards and risks associated with the use of portable electrical items, a risk assessment must be carried out for the use of such equipment. Such assessments should consider:

·  the type of equipment and the hazard(s) its use presents

·  the working environment in which the equipment is/will be used

·  the availability and suitability of reduced voltage equipment (e.g. battery operated) particularly for items that are hand-held

·  the manufacturer’s instructions

·  where appropriate, the age, integrity and condition of the equipment

·  the levels of competency of the persons using, or likely to use, the equipment

·  the portability of the equipment and its frequency of use

·  foreseeable misuse and/or unauthorised use of the equipment

·  previous maintenance records where relevant

5.6 Extension Leads

5.6.1 The need for extension leads must be minimised as much as possible by the provision of a suitable number and positioning of electric sockets. The use of extension leads must only be considered:

·  where no reasonable alternative exists

·  for periods of short duration (less than 12 hours)

·  for situations where they will not be left unattended

·  as a temporary measure whilst a more permanent solution is being implemented

Note: If extension leads are required as a temporary measure whilst a more permanent solution is being implemented, they will constitute a ‘temporary installation’ and as such must be tested in accordance with BS7671.

5.6.3 Where necessary, Faculties and Departments must engage the Estates and Facilities Department to fit additional electrical sockets, for example, where the use of an extension lead or multi-point adaptor is known, or anticipated to be needed permanently or for an extended period of time.

5.6.4 The use of extension leads should only be to extend or increase the number of sockets available from an outlet in the same room, and not provide socket outlets where ones would not normally be provided. In addition, care must be taken to prevent:

·  trip hazards from trailing cables

·  the lead becoming abraded or damaged

·  overheating due to the leads not being fully unwound

·  contact with water/liquid spillages

·  contact with other items of equipment that might result in danger or damage

·  exposure to environmental conditions for which the lead and sockets have not been designed

5.6.5 Extension leads must not be used in laboratories, workshops or other similar environments without the knowledge and consent of the appropriate Technician or member of staff.

5.6.6 Reel type extension leads must be fully unwound when in use, regardless of the length required, to ensure the cable does not overheat.

5.6.7 All cables must be obtained from a recognised and approved source. No person is permitted to construct or assemble from parts an extension lead, unless this may be regarded as being in keeping with their role, plus they are competent and authorised to do so. All such cables, plugs and sockets must meet the relevant British Standard and be appropriately tested before being brought into use.

5.6.8 At no time must extension leads be ‘daisy chained’ i.e. one lead plugged into another.

5.6.9 All extension leads must be used in conjunction with a Residual Current Device (RCD). All RCDs must be tested by the user operating the test button before each time of use.

5.6 User checks

5.6.1 These are informal checks by persons prior to using items of portable electrical equipment. There is no requirement to record user checks.

5.6.2 The person using items of electrical equipment should look at it before use and check for signs that it may not be in sound condition, for example:

·  damage to the cable, including fraying or cuts

·  damage to the plug or connector, e.g. the crakes in the casing or bent pins

·  inadequate joints, including taped joints in the cable

·  the outer sheath of the cable is not effectively secured where it enters the plug or the equipment. Evidence would be if the coloured insulation of the internal cables were showing

·  the equipment has been subjected to conditions for which it is not suitable, e.g. it is wet or otherwise contaminated

·  damage to the external casing of the equipment

5.6.3 Any defects identified must be dealt with as shown in clause 5.10 of this procedure.

5.7 Formal Visual Inspections

5.7.1 As the name suggests, these are formal checks of portable electric appliances by a competent person, carried out at set intervals and the findings recorded. The purpose of formal visual inspections is to identify potentially dangerous faults before harm occurs and allow appropriate remedial action to be taken.