A common sense approach
August 1st 2007 The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 places a responsibility on an employer, to maintain plant and equipment so that it remains safe. While the act is not specific in laying out which items must be tested, a common sense approach should be taken when considering what items to test, and how frequently they should be tested explains Chris Gray of Midas Electronics
When considering which items should be included in the testing program, look towards the most common items in use in the factory or office.
In manufacturing industry, or in any industry where there is some type of process, the shop floor is the obvious place to start. Electrical tools, especially hand tools are subject to a number of knocks and bumps in common everyday usage, which cannot be avoided.
Therefore, these items should be the highest priority when looking at a PAT testing system.
Wear and tear Wear and tear on electrical items is commonly found around the electrical mains plug, the electric cable and the body of the equipment. Some heavy workshops can have a number of these items in use at any one time, thus creating a number of potentially serious accidents in waiting.
When inspecting electrical equipment, always open the plug. When a contractor claims he or she can test 300-400 items per day, check they are carrying out the full test, which should include an inspection of the plug, checking for correct polarity, fuse rating and condition of the wiring.
When considering workshop equipment, many people fail to realise that extension leads are a vulnerable part of the chain, and yet are often overlooked when assessing dangers in the workshop. Extension leads are subject to a number of accidental wear and tear incidents, such as trapping, bending, spillage, and crushing.
Many people are not aware that 110V equipment should also be included in the assessment. Some employers do not consider 110 Volt equipment to be a high risk, but this shows a lack of understanding of how electricity presents a danger to users.
Service areas After an assessment of the most obvious manufacturing areas, it is often informative to look at some of the service areas, such as dispatch, goods inwards, and other areas such as paint shops, finishing areas, test and repair workshops.
In many test areas, specialised test equipment can be used, which is often neglected when assessing equipment to be PAT tested. Many engineers will have test procedures that could expose them to danger, as equipment has been modified or changed to reflect working practices.
Electrical or electronic test equipment, if mains powered, such as oscilloscopes, power supply units, and automatic test rigs, all come under the scope of the law.
Further thought should be given to the service areas of any manufacturing premises. These may contain a range of equipment, from vacuum cleaners, to small lifting equipment. All this equipment is required to be tested.
Office equipment such as computers, faxes and printers is easily identified, and can be included into a PAT test routine maintenance program easily. However, companies could easily miss auxiliary equipment, such as water coolers, vending machines, and beverage machines and coffee and tea machines.
External equipment Employee's equipment, brought onto site becomes the responsibility of the employer to test. Many people do not maintain their own equipment, and often, bring equipment into the work environment, that is not kept in a fit state of repair. Accidents involving such equipment could occur, including fires from equipment not properly tested.
If equipment is allowed onto the companies premises, the responsibility for test and inspection falls onto the employer, unless they have specifically contracted the supplier to carry out PAT tests on their equipment.
This also applies to contractors, or sub contractors visiting site. Often, managers are aware that a contractor will bring electrical tools to site, and have made good efforts to control risks in this area. However, many people can visit manufacturer's premises with equipment such as laptops, which have been known to catch fire. All equipment which is brought onto site should be PAT tested, and the responsibility for such external equipment can be easily controlled through visitor terms and conditions.
To ensure that employers comply with regulations, a measured approach is needed. Look at all aspects of the business, including areas that would not seem obvious.
Have clear guidelines for visitors and insist on written confirmation that PAT tests have been carried out on this equipment before commencing operations. More articles from Midas Electronics: | 
