“Shockingly over the last year electricity accounted for four house fires a week in the County of Essex the majority of these fires started in the kitchen either caused by faulty wiring or faulty kitchen appliances.”
This statistic is not peculiar to the domestic market but mirrored when looking at the commercial work place. Over 1,000 accidents involving electrical safety are reported to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) annually with 25% of fires starting from portable appliances.
There is an extensive range of interdependent British and EU standards and legislation that govern the use and maintenance of electrical systems and appliances. The most prominent Electrical Safety Regulations being:
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 which states that all electrical systems and equipment used in the working environment should be in a safe condition.
The Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 which states that Duty Holders have an obligation to test and maintain Emergency Lighting systems to the required safety standard.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 puts the ’duty of care’ upon both the employer and the employee to ensure the safety of all persons using the work premises. This includes the self-employed.
The Health and Safety Executive recommend that in order to comply with the regulations an electrical inspection and testing programme should be undertaken at all places of work.
The Institute of Engineering and Technology have compiled the IET Wiring Regulations in accordance with BS 7671.
BS 7671 is the national standard in the United Kingdom for electrical installation and the safety of electrical wiring in domestic, commercial, industrial, and other buildings. Although the Wiring Regulations are non-statutory, they are referenced in several UK statutory instruments and in most cases, for practical purposes, have legal force as the appropriate minimum standard for electrical installations.
Who is responsible in the Work Place?
Realistically, everyone has a ‘duty of care’ to ensure the safety of others whilst at work; however, the Duty Holder will have the ultimate responsibility for electrical safety.
To ensuring that adequate records are being kept it is essential to carry out Fixed Wire Testing, PAT and Emergency Lighting Inspection in accordance with BS7671. By implementing this practice, the Duty Holder can be assured that their legal obligations in so far as electrical safety is concerned have been addressed.
CGE works extensively throughout Essex carrying out electrical compliance testing, Fixed Wire Testing, PAT testing and Emergency Lighting Inspection for our clients, helping the community of Essex to remain safe at work.