Appendix 4 - General Advice on electrical safety - University of Kent

<strong>Appendix</strong> 4
UNIVERSITY OF KENT
GENERAL ADVICE ON ELECTRICAL SAFETY
Introduction
The use of electricity leads to fewer accidents than, for example, those due to slips and
trips or lifting loads at work. However, the chances of serious injury from electrical
accidents are greater then from most other types of accidents. It is thus necessary to
minimise the risk by good design, manufacture, installation and use of portable
equipment, such as typewriters, computers, photocopiers, extension leads, hand tools,
cleaning equipment, etc.
Accidents
The majority of electrical accidents are caused by electrical shock but many others result
in burns from arcing or fire. Shock from a voltage as low as 50 volts a.c. or 120 d.c. is
potentially lethal. About a quarter of all electrical accidents reported to the Health and
Safety Executive involve portable appliances.
Accidents may be caused by faulty flexible cables, extension leads, plugs and sockets as
well as defective electrical equipment. A programme or regular inspection and/or testing
considerably reduces the risk.
Purchase and Installation
Purchasers must ensure that the equipment to be obtained is suitable electrically for the
use intended; the Maintenance Manager may be consulted in the first instance for advice.
So far as reasonable practicable, equipment conforming to the appropriate British
Standard or CE Standard should be purchased. When obtaining foreign equipment, the
purchaser should ensure that the equipment is at least as safe as equipment constructed to
the equivalent British Standard.
The acquisition of new equipment must be reported to the Departmental Electrical
Inspector, to allow the Inspector to send the relevant details to the Maintenance Manager.
This will ensure that the item is added to the Maintenance Centre’s list of departmental
equipment requiring regular inspection and/or testing.
Note: In some Departments, by arrangement with the Maintenance Manager, inspecting
and testing of certain equipment is carried out within the Department because of
the local electrical expertise available.
Safe Use
1. Equipment should be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Care should be taken to prevent overloading of circuits. If in doubt, the advice of
the Maintenance Manager should be sought.
3. The use of wall-mounted adaptors should be avoided because of the damage to the
wall sockets caused by the weight of a “tree” of adaptor(s) and plugs. If an
adaptor is required, a fused and switched strip adaptor should be obtained to be
used in the short-term. A request for extra socket(s) should be made to the
appropriate departmental person.

4. Care should be taken to prevent trailing cables from becoming a hazard; they
should be tucked away or lifted above walk-ways but, if a cable lying across a walkway
is unavoidable, the trip hazard should be reduced by the use of a cable cover.
5. Care should be taken to avoid obstructing any air grill or fan outlet on equipment.
6. Users of hand-held equipment should take particular care to avoid damaging the
cable and to avoid putting stress on the connections by overstretching the cable.
7. Apart from equipment designed to be left on permanently, all equipment should
be switched off at the appliance itself and at the wall socket at the end of the
working day.
Inspections and tests
1. A regular programme of formal visual inspections and, where necessary, testing has
been set up; this shared between the Department Electrical Inspector(s) and the
Maintenance staff. Each Inspector carries out inspections at appropriate intervals
using a check list provided by the Maintenance Manager; the inspection interval
depends upon the equipment and is not necessarily one year.
Each piece of equipment logged with the Maintenance Centre is identified by a
number of barcode label and, after testing, will be fitted with a label bearing the
legend
“Tested for electrical safety
Re-test due
(date)
(date)”
Out of date equipment must not be used until it has been re-tested.
2. In between the formal visual inspections users should regularly examine their
equipment for signs of damage or deterioration, both on the appliance itself and on
the cable and plug. Checks should be made for faults such as badly-damaged
casing of the appliance or plug, the cable sheath worn or torn and loose
connections into the plug or appliance.
3. The frequency of the visual check by the user depends on the type of equipment
and how it is used but, as a rough guide, equipment rarely moved or unplugged
such as computers and typewriters should be checked monthly and hand-held
tools such as drills and chain-saws should be checked each time they are used.
Faults
1. Repairs must only be undertaken by a competent person e.g. an electrician or a
trained technician.
2. Users finding faulty or broken equipment should take it out of use immediately,
label it “Defective – do not use” and initiate repairs according to the local rules.
Safety Office
Jan 1992
Amended Feb 1999