Seaward PAT Guide - PAT Testing

1 PortableApplianceTestingAPracticalGuidew ww. se award. co .ukThe Apollo rcall+44 (0)191 587 8741 Follow us on Twitter:@SeawardPAT #ApolloseriesApollo500 With advanced data transfer andstorage features, a great value plug and play PAT testerApollo600A multi-tasking PAT, the all in oneHealth and Safety managementtool with cameraPATG uard3 The ultimate PAT testingand Health and Safetymanagement software ExcellencemadesimpleAt a price you wouldn t believeCont has responsibility? , of inspectionand testingbased on risk :makingyourlifeeasierandmoreefficientWor ld-LeadingElectricalTestEquipmentfrom SeawardAt SeawardGroup,we have over 70 years in thedesignand manufactureof innovativeelectricalsafety test , our first-classrangeof productsserves a wide variety of the last 30 yearswe vemovedourdevelopmentson. Our portableappliancetestersare the benchmarkfor the portableappliancetesting (PAT) marketand are regardedas numberone by the PAT Testing equipmenthas always been designedwith the needs of ourcustomersin mind.

2 Safety in the workplaceis ofparamountimportanceand our testersprovidethe quick and effectivekey to swhy each SeawardPAT tester is backedby ahuge rangeof accessories,printers,assetmanagementsoft wareand of mind is guaranteedfor our customersbecausethey know that help and advice is onlya phone call LegislationAlthoughreferenceis madeto legislation,thisguideshouldnot be consideredto be the specificlegislationandseeklegaladvicewhe renecessary,whichmayvaryfromtimeto Safetyat WorkAct 1974(HSW1974)places a duty of care on both the employerandemployeeto ensure the safety of all personsusingthe work HealthandSafetyat WorkRegulations1999state that every employershallmake suitableassessmentof the risks to health andsafety of his employeesto which they are exposedwhilst at work and the risk to the health and safety ofpersonsnot in his employmentarising of or inconnectionwith the conductby him of Managementof Health and Safety at WorkRegulations1999 also state that:Every employershall make asuitableandsufficientassessmentof the risks to the healthand safety of his employeesto which they areexposedwhilst they are at the employeremploysfive or moreemployees,he shall record the significantfindingsof the WorkRegulations1989apply toevery type of electricalequipmentand state.

3 As maybe necessaryto preventdanger,all systemsshall bemaintainedso as to prevent,so far as is reasonablypracticable,such danger. (Regulation4(2))ProvisionandUseof WorkEquipmentRegulations1998placesgenera ldutiesonemployersand lists minimumrequirementsfor workequipmentto deal with selectedhazardswhateverthe Regulationsimplementan EU Directiveaimed atthe protectionof workersand the generalduties willrequire the need to:a. Make sure that equipmentis suitablefor theuse for which it is Take into accountthe workingconditionsandhazardsin the Ensure equipmentis used only for theoperationsfor which, and under conditionsforwhich, it is Ensure that equipmentis maintainedin anefficientstate, in efficientworkingorder and ingood Provideequipmentthat conformsto EUproductsafety directivesf. Plus certain other generalduties and 2004(Englandand Wales)introduceda new methodfor assessingrisk in residentialproperties,called the HousingHealth and SafetyRatingSystem,to providea safe and healthyenvironmentfor any potentialoccupiersor includesportableelectricalequipmentand theconditionof associatedleads and plugs should betaken into accountif they are providedas part of arented is onemethodof ensuringthat electricalequipmentis safefor (Scotland)Act 2006defines the statutoryrequirementsthat have to be met by a privatelandlordand includesthe landlordmust ensure thatthe propertymeets the requirementsat the start ofthe tenancyand at all times during the tenancywherethe landlordis made aware of Whohas responsibility?

4 UsersofElect rical EquipmentUsers of electricalequipmenthave aresponsibilitytoensurethat equipmentthey use has no obviousvisual damageor employerhas aresponsibilityto provideand maintainasafe plant forevery employeeto use (HSW Act 1974 Sect 2(a)).This requirementis endorsedby the (EAWR1989)Regs 4(1) and 4(2) with specificreferenceto (EAWR1989) Reg 3(1) also placesthe same duties upon the IET Code of Practicegives advice to premisesare requiredto understandand apply the legislationand assessthe risks inrespect of electricalequipmentand applianceswithintheir alegal responsibilityto ensure that the electricalequipmentin their chargeis st OperativeThe person performingthe inspectionsand tests onan item of equipmentshould be competentto carryout the inspectionsand tests, assess the results andthe conditionsin which the item is being used andstate whetherthe item is safe for experiencewill both be Competence,Trainingand ExperienceTheUserUsers may require training in identificationof defectsthat can occur in shouldbe aware that:a.

5 Equipmentthat is faulty or suspectedof beingfaulty should not be Equipmentthat is faulty should be labelledandremovedfrom service The administratoror managershould y HolderThe duty holder, normallyamanageror supervisor,isrequiredto know their legal responsibilitiesas laiddown in the Electricityat Work Regulations1989 andhave a legal responsibilityto ensure that equipmentin their charge is holders may require training to allow them carryout risk assessments,maintainrecordsofinspections ,tests and repairsof equipmentandmanagethe inspectionsand tests at holdersare requiredto interprettherecordedresults and take appropriateactionsor toproviderelevantinformationand reportsto a moresenior person within the interpretrecordsand resultsis achievedbyappropriatetraining and Operat iveIn the context of safety Testing , the term competence refers to a person sability to performthe task withoutdanger to themselvesor others and to make a validjudgementbased on the results, as to whetherthe unit34under test is safe to use and is likely to remain safe atleast until the next scheduledtest will be appreciatedthat the test person will requirecertain knowledgeand informationto enable suchvalid prospectivejudgementsto be made.

6 In additionthe test person will require both the knowledgeandthe informationnecessaryto make judgementsregardingthe Testing processand its safety and theskill and ability to put such judgementsinto practice,this producinga safe systemof work. Trainingandexperiencewill both be is suggestedthat the followingcriteriaareconsidered:a. An adequateknowledgeand practicalexperienceof electricityand its Aclear understandingof precautionsrequiredto avoid The ability to recogniseat all times whetherit issafe for work to The ability to identify equipmentand appliancetypes to determinethe test proceduresandfrequencyof inspectionand Adequateunderstandingof the operatingprinciplesof both the test equipmentand theunit under The ability to create test recordsand takeresponsibilityfor the Adequateknowledgeof the Adequateknowledgeof possiblehazardsat a strange tester s skill and ability should encompass:a.

7 Adequateexperienceof Adequateexperienceof appliancetesting andthe test Adequatetraining where (b) cannot Experiencein the interpretationof Practical technical experienceof the type ofequipmentbeing informationmay include:a. Employer ssafety manualsor Equipmentmanufacturer British Standards(see Appendix).d. Health and Safety Executive(HSE) GuidanceNotes (see Appendix).e. IET Code of Practicefor In-ServiceInspectionand Testing of Supervisorsresponsiblefor testingpersonnelshould adjust their degree of supervisiontotake into accountany inadequacyof the test (EAWR1989) Reg. 3 places a duty on the selfemployedto assesstheir own competenceandsubsequentlyto work within their Typesof EquipmentThe IET Code of Practiceappliesto equipmentsuppliedat voltagesup to and including1000V AC or1500V DC betweenconductorsor 600V AC or 900 VDC. betweenconductorsand earth includingsingle,two and three-phaseequipmentsuppliedat 400V,230V and 110V and at extra-lowvoltageincludingSELV (SeparatedExtra-LowVoltage).

8 Severaltypesof electricalequipmentare defined in the IET Code bleEquipmentAn applianceof less than 18kg in mass that isintendedto be movedwhilst in operationor anappliancewhich can easily be movedwhilst inoperationor an appliancewhich can easily be movedfrom one place to vacuumcleaner,toaster,food mixer, sThis is portableequipmentintendedto be held in thehand during normal use drill, hair risk of damagewhich may cause the safety ofhand held equipmentto be compromisedcan behigh. Also, the use of some hand held equipmentcarries ahigh risk due to the very nature of its use user is in direct contactwith the (Transp ortabl e)This equipmentis either: 18kg or less in mass and not fixed, electricfire or: Equipmentwith wheels,castorsor othermeans to facilitatemovementby the operatoras requiredto performits intendeduse airconditioningunitSuch equipmentmay be considered transportable rather than portable,but will still be connectedto itssupply where applicableby aflexible cable and risk of damagewhich may cause the safety oftransportableequipmentto be compromisedcan behigh.

9 Also, the use of some transportableequipmentcarries a high risk due to the very nature of its use( a high pressuresteam/watercleaner)and insuch circumstancestransportableequipmentcanpr esenta greaterhazardthan most portableequipment,thereforethe requirementto periodicallytest must also apply to erts in wh at we tionaryEquipmentorAppliancesThis equipmenthas a mass exceeding18kg and isnot providedwith a carryinghandle refrigerator,washingmachineFi xedEquipment/AppliancesThis equipmentor an appliancewhich is fastenedtoasupportor otherwisesecuredin bathroomheater, towel rail. Fixed equipmentcanalso be movableor portableequipment,whenconnectedto the fixed installationvia a fusedconnectionunit (FCU), for commonin areas used by the generalpublic, hotels, changingrooms etc. Equipmenttypes connectedin this way are , lamps, hair dryers etcApplian cesorEquipmentforBuildingInThis equipmentis intendedto be installedin apreparedrecess such as a a io n Technology EquipmentThis equipmentincludeselectricalbusinessequip mentsuch as computers,mains poweredtelecommunicationsequipmentand otherequipmentfor generalbusinessuse printers,photocopiers, tension LeadsandRCD ExtensionLeadsExtensionsleads are used where an item of equipmentrequiresconnectionto amains supply but aconvenientoutlet is not RCD extensionlead is anextensionlead that is fitted with aresidual current Adap torsandRCDA daptorsMulti-wayadaptorsare used where sufficientmainsoutlets are not adaptorsare used toprovideprotectionfor users of portableequipment.

10 Particularlywhen used Classesof EquipmentConstructionBefore an item of equipmentcan be tested theconstructionclass must be determinedin order toidentify the appropriatetests. The equipmentto betested will normallybe constructedin one of threebasic classes,designatedClass I, II or summarisedbelow, fulldetails can be found in I equipmentis constructedsuch thatprotectionagainstelectricshock does not rely onbasic insulationalone. In additionto basic insulationaround live internal parts, exposedconductivepartsare connectedto the protectiveconductorin thefixed wiring of the Iequipmentrelies upon aconnectionto the protectiveconductorto preventexposedconductivepartsbecomingliv e in the event of a failure in the II equipmentis constructedsuch thatprotectionagainstelectricshock does not rely onbasic insulationalone. In additionto basic insulationaround live internal parts, supplementaryinsulationisprovided,there being no provisionfor connectionofexposedconductiveparts to the equipmentis often describedas doubleinsulated and should carry the III equipmentis equipmentin which protectionagainstelectricshock relies on a supply from aseparatedextra-lowvoltage source (SELV).