Electrical Safety (Portable Electric Equipment) Policy

Transcription

1 Electrical Safety (Portable Electric Equipment) Policy Version No Author Date Comments Approved by V1.0 Lynne Sharp First draft Health and Safety Sub-Group V Comments from H&S Group incorporated Recommended for approval by QRC V APPROVED Approved by QRC

2 Reader information Reference Version Title Authors/Nominated Lead HS011 V1.0 Electrical Safety (Portable Electric Equipment) Policy Head of Governance and Engagement NHS Rushcliffe CCG Approval Date 27 Approving Committee Quality and Risk Committee Review Date October 2017 Groups/Staff Consulted CCG Health and Safety Leads NNE, NW, Rushcliffe CCGs Target audience All CCGs Staff Circulation list All CCGs Staff Associated documents Health and Safety Policy Superseded documents Sponsoring Director N/A Director Nursing and Quality

3 Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Statement of Intent 3. Legislation 3.1 Electricity at Work Regulations Definitions 4.1 Portable of Movable Appliance 4.2 Earthed Equipment 4.3 Double Insulated Equipment 4.4 User Checks 4.5 Visual Inspections 4.6 Portable Appliance Test (PAT) 5. Roles and responsibilities 5.1 Accountable Officer 5.2 Director of Nursing and Quality 5.3 Health and Safety Leads 5.4 Staff 6. Reporting 7. Monitoring and Audit 8. Review 9. References Appendix 1 Suggested Initial Intervals for Checking Portable Electric Equipment

4 1. Introduction 1.1 This policy covers the three south Nottinghamshire CCGs NHS Nottingham North and East, NHS Nottingham West and NHS Rushcliffe CCGs subsequently known as the CCGs. 1.2 This policy applies to all CCG staff and also includes temporary staff. 2. Statement of Intent 2.1 The CCGs are committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of employees, contractors or temporary staff, visitors and members of the public who may be affected by the activities of the CCGs 2.2 This policy sets out the sensible precautions that need to be taken to prevent danger from portable or movable electrical equipment in a low risk environment such as an office. 3. Legislation 3.1 Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require employers to maintain electrical equipment if it can cause danger. However, the regulations do not state how or how often this should be done. 3.2 This depends on the level of risk of an item becoming faulty and how the equipment is constructed. Consideration should be given to: Correct use of equipment Suitability for the job Frequency of use and whether equipment is used in a harsh environment Construction of the equipment, specifically in relation to insulation 3.3 The regulations apply to any equipment used by employees at work whether it is their own or supplied by the CCGs. 3.4 There is a joint responsibility to maintain equipment used by employees that is leased or provided by a contractor, for example a photocopier, but not equipment both provided and used by a contractor. 3.5 Not every electrical item needs a portable appliance test (PAT). In some cases a simple user check or visual inspection is sufficient. 4. Definitions 4.1 Portable or Movable Appliance is an item that can be moved either connected or disconnected from an electrical supply. Portable items generally have a lead or cable and a plug. Portable and movable equipment includes the following: electrical equipment that can be easily moved around, such as kettles, vacuum cleaners, floor polishers, portable heaters, fans, desk lamps, some TVs, radios, some small electric cookers, PC projectors, small appliances such as irons, hair dryers and kitchen equipment including food mixers and toasters;

5 larger items that could be moved (but only rarely), such s as water chillers, fridges, microwaves, photocopiers, vending machines, washing machines, electric cookers, fax machines, desktop computers, electric beds aree considered to be movable items; hand-held items, such as hairdryers, that do not have a plug but have been wired in (or fixed) are still considered to be portable appliances, but large electrical items, such as water boilers that are wired in, are not portable appliances as they are not designedd to be moved and would come under the scope of fixed installation maintenance; mobile phone and other battery-charging equipment that iss plugged into the mains (but the phones themselves and any other battery-operated equipment would not be included); and extension leads, multi-way adaptors and connectionn leads. 4.2 When deciding whether to test electrical equipment, the construction of the equipment in use should be considered. There are two basic types of electrical construction Class I (earthed) and Class II (double insulated). See Appendix 1. Earthed Equipment For safety reasons, Class I equipment has an earth connection. If there is a fault within the equipment there is a possibility that the outside of thee equipment could cause an electric shock if the earth connection is not there. As a result, it is recommended that Class I equipment has a portable appliance test to ensure the earth connection is sound. Double insulated equipment Class II equipment is sometimess referred to as double insulated equipment. This means that there is extra insulation within the construction of the equipment to prevent accidental contact with live parts, even if there is a fault. Class II equipment does not need an earth connectionn to maintain safety. Itt will not need a portable appliance test, although it is necessary that userr checks and visual inspectionss are carried out as the integrity of the equipment casing is a key safety feature. Class II equipment is marked withh a If this symbol cannot be seen, it should be assumed that the item is a Class I appliance and a portable appliance test should be carried out. 4.3 User checks These should be carried out before most electrical equipment disconnected. Employees should look for: equipment is used, with the damage to the lead includingg fraying, cuts or heavy scuffing,, eg from floor box covers; damage to the plug, for example to the cover or bent pins; tape applied to the lead to join leads together; coloured wires visible wheree the lead joins the plug (the cable is not being gripped where it enters the plug); damage to the outer coverr of the equipment itself, including loose parts or screws;

6 signs of overheating, such as burn marks or staining on the plug, lead or piece of equipment; equipment that has been used or stored in unsuitable conditions, such as wet or dusty environments or where water spills are possible; and cables trapped under furniture or in floor boxes. 4.4 Visual inspections It is not necessary to be an electrician to carry out a visual inspection, but anyone conducting one needs to know what to look for and have sufficient knowledge to avoid danger to them self and others. As part of the visual inspection, consideration should be given to whether: the electrical equipment is being used in accordance with the manufacturer s instructions; the equipment is suitable for the job; there has been any change of circumstances; and the user has reported any issues. there are no signs of internal damage, overheating or water damage to the plug; the cord grip is holding the outer part (sheath) of the cable tightly; and no bare wire is visible other than at the terminals. For equipment/cables fitted with moulded plugs only the fuse can be checked. 4.5 Portable appliance test (PAT) A portable appliance test does not need to be carried out by an electrician, but greater knowledge and experience is needed than for inspection alone, and the person performing the test must have the right equipment for the task. They should know how to use the test equipment and how to interpret the results. It is important to continue to carry out user checks on electrical equipment that has been tested. This is because portable appliance testing can only give an indication of the safety of an appliance at the time of the test and does not imply that the item will be safe for a further period of time. The person carrying out the test should not assess when the next test will be due as this decision should be made on a risk assessment basis. The CCGs have a maintenance contract in place with a suitably qualified organisation to conduct PAT testing annually. 5. Roles and Responsibilities 5.1 Accountable Officer The individual CCG Accountable Officers are responsible for ensuring that this policy is implemented in order to enable the CCGs to comply with the Health & Safety At Work etc Act 1974, The Management of Health and Safety At Work Regulations 1999, (as amended) and the Electricity at Work Regulations. 5.2 Director of Nursing and Quality The Director of Nursing and Quality has responsibility for overseeing the implementation of this policy through the Health and Safety Sub-Group of the Quality and Risk Committee.

7 5.3 Health and Safety Leads Each CCG has a designated Health and Safety Lead who will undertake the following: Ensure that an appropriate contract is in place for PAT testing of equipment at appropriate intervals and that includes equipment being labelled and dated on completion of tests; Ensure that user checks continue to be carried out on equipment that has been tested. This is because portable appliance testing can only give an indication of the safety of an appliance at the time of the test and does not imply that the item will be safe for a further period of time; Ensure that damaged or faulty equipment is recognised and removed from use without delay and either: - Repaired by someone competent with suitable skills, training and knowledge for the task to prevent injury; or - Disposed of to prevent its further use Any incidents are reported and appropriate action taken; Arrangements are reviewed regularly on a level of risk basis. 5.4 Staff All staff have the following responsibilities: To look at the electrical equipment and the supply cable to the electrical equipment before they use it; To report any faulty or damaged electrical equipment and refrain from using it until advised otherwise by a competent person. To use equipment only for the purpose for which it was designed. 6. Reporting The incident reporting procedure meets the CCGs legal obligations to report all accidents, injuries, dangerous occurrences and reportable diseases (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995). Such events may involve employees, contractors, service users, visitors or any other member of the public. Contractors and those employed by the CCGs must comply with the policy requiring the reporting of accidents, incidents, occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences. Any incidents relating to electrical equipment should be reported under this procedure.

8 7. Monitoring and Audit This policy will be monitored for compliance and effectiveness at regular intervals by the Health and Safety Sub-group of the Quality and Risk Committee. Monitoring will include areas such as incident analysis, risk assessments, accident investigations and audit. 8. Review The Electrical Safety (PAT) Policy will be reviewed on an annual basis by the Health and Safety Sub-group and approved by the Quality and Risk Committee. 9. References Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.

9 Appendix 1 Suggested Initial Intervals for Checking Portable Electric Equipment