The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require those in control of part or all of an electrical system to ensure that it is safe to use and that it is maintained in a safe condition.

All electrical equipment, including portable equipment and installations, should be maintained (so far as reasonably practicable) to prevent danger; this is a requirement of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.

These Regulations state principles of electrical safety and apply to all electrical systems and equipment. However, they do not specify what needs to be done, by whom or how frequently.

Decisions on maintenance levels and the frequency of checks should be made in consultation with equipment users, based on the risk of electrical items becoming faulty. There is an increased risk of this happening if the equipment isn’t used correctly, isn’t suitable for the job, or is used in a harsh environment.

An appropriate system of maintenance is strongly recommended. This can include:

• user checks by employees, eg a pre-use check for loose cables or signs of fire damage;
• a visual inspection by someone with more knowledge, eg checking inside the plug for internal damage, bare wires and the correct fuse;

• where necessary, a portable appliance test (PAT) by someone with the necessary knowledge and experience to carry out a test and interpret the results.

Damaged or defective equipment should be removed from use and either repaired by someone competent or disposed of to prevent its further use.

By concentrating on a simple, inexpensive system of looking for visible signs of damage or faults, most of the electrical risks can be controlled.

There is no legal requirement to label equipment that has been inspected or tested, nor is there a requirement to keep records of these activities.

Although it is not a legal requirement, maintaining a record and labelling system can be a useful way to monitor and review the effectiveness of the maintenance scheme.

Quality Assurance (QA) and ISO 9000

ISO 9000 is defined as a set of international standards on quality management and quality assurance developed to help companies effectively document the quality system elements needed to maintain an efficient quality system. They are not specific to any one industry and can be applied to organizations of any size.

ISO 9000 can help a company satisfy its customers, meet regulatory requirements, and achieve continual improvement. It should be considered to be a first step or the base level of a quality system.