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PAT Testing Regulations
IEE Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment
In terms of portable appliance inspection and testing the IEE Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (3rd edition), (an IET publication) is the key document after the Electricity @ Work 1989 and Provision and Use of Work Equipment 1998 Regulations publications.
These three documents are essential reference material for anyone charged with the responsibility of carrying out PAT Testing.
The Code of Practice is produced by The Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) to provide guidance to commerce and industry with regard to all aspects of `in -Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment.
The document outlines in significant detail the requirements for portable appliance testing (PAT Testing) and gives definitions, detailed illustrations, and explanations and is the clearest document yet on this complex subject.
To order your copy of ISBN 978 -0-86341-833-4 'The IEE Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment':
Copies of the IEE Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment retail at: £35.00 +VAT (inc VAT £41.13).
For information about the Institute of Electrical Engineers visit their site at http://www.theiet.org
Delegate NotesPowerPlug’s 'Electrical familiarisation and IntroPat Workshop' The 'Electrical familiarisation and IntroPat Workshop' is one of the most popular PAT workshops in the country and has been widely acclaimed as not only highly informative but enjoyable. Many nationally recognised companies such as IKEA, NHS, Calumet, UK Chambers of Commerce, GlaxoSmithKline, Intervet, SMC Pneumatics, Greenwich Authority, Daimler Chrysler, Nissan, Grant Thornton, GE, Royal Shakespeare Company etc have attended (many more than once).
Health & Safety at Work Act
It is for the accused brought to the court under this act to show that "all reasonable practicable care" or in some cases absolute care has been taken. The demonstration of this is often the difference between an employer proving employee negligence or sustaining substantial fines, even personal prosecutions when he/she is unable to do so. And remember your insurance does not cover you breaking the law!!
Electricity at Work Regulation 89
- Memorandum of guidance
- A requirement to maintain systems
The H.S.E. memorandum of guidance on the Electricity at Work Regulation (H.S(R)25) goes on to define all systems, duties, maintenance etc and provides commerce and industry with a series of guidelines which are accepted generally in Law as being definitive... In essence this requires of the employer etc. to inspect and electrically test on a regular basis and keep maintained electrical portable appliances.
PUWER 98:
PUWER remakes the previous regulations from PUWER 92, together with new requirements for inspection (reg 6) and mobile work equipment (regs 25-30) and replacement requirements for power presses (regs 31-35);
PUWER covers most risks that can result from the use of work equipment and from the use of mobile work equipment; and covers all work sectors, apart from ship's equipment.
Work equipment is broadly defined and covers a very wide range of equipment, both power-operated and manually-operated.
The Regulations came broadly into force on 5 December 1998. Together with three ACoPs and guidance (covering respectively work equipment, woodworking machinery and power presses) PUWER 98 has replaced the earlier industry or process-specific laws on training including that relating to the use of abrasive wheels.
There is a direct link between PUWER 98 and the essential health and safety requirements (EHSRs) in the product supply Regulations implementing the EC 'single market' product directives eg Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 1992 (as amended) (SM Regulations).
APPLICATION/DUTIES (Reg 3)
(1) Regulation 3 places duties on employers, the self–employed and persons in control of work equipment and is designed to reflect HSW Act s 2 & 4 and aspects of 3. The application of PUWER 92 has been extended by PUWER 98 reg 3(3)(b) to cover ´persons in control´ of work equipment, but it is limited to the ´extent of their control´. PUWER 98 now apply to those who hire out work equipment (but limited to the extent of their control).
(2) Regulation 3 places duties on employers in relation to all work equipment provided for use or used. Therefore, it covers the situation where employers allow employees to provide their own tools.
© hse (Health & Safety Executive) For further details contact: http://www.hse.gov.uk/
Record Keeping - your protection
The Regulations require employers to maintain their electrical equipment in order to prevent accidents. The majority of equipment defects can be found by a detailed Visual Inspection. For example a detailed examination by a competent person is likely to eliminate hazards caused by defective plugs or cable damage, or other signs that the equipment´s condition is defective in some way and as a consequence a danger to users and others.
Formal Visual Inspection alone will not identify all dangerous faults, therefore a Formal Visual Inspection needs to be accompanied by an Electrical Test (a PAT Test using what is commonly known as a PAT Tester) to reveal less obvious electrical faults such as earth continuity and resistance, insulation integrity, earth leakage and overload conditions.
Detailed test records are therefore essential and the only effective method for the duty holder to prove that appropriate measures have been taken to avoid accidents in the place of work. Therefore in the unfortunate event of an electrical accident such records may be the only defence of the employer in a court of law.
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