NEWLANDS GIRLS SCHOOL POLICY DOCUMENT Health & Safety: Electrical safety Last Updated By N Piggott Nov 2015 Last Reviewed by N Piggott Jan 2017 Policy Type Review Frequency Statutory Annually Responsible Leadership Team R Lawson Governing Committee Sites and Buildings Committee Approved 17/1/2017 At Newlands we create confident and responsible young women equipped with the skills they need for the twenty first century. We empower all students to realise their potential as part of a sustainable community committed to lifelong learning.
TITLE: PURPOSE/SCOPE: HEALTH AND SAFETY: ELECTRICAL SAFETY To ensure Newlands Girls School (NGS) meets all legislative requirements. To assess the work activities that utilise electricity and define all the risks associated with them to ensure no one is exposed to a known electrical hazard. To ensure no student, visitor, staff member or contractor is endangered by electrical equipment belonging to the school. To ensure that no one will be endangered by contractors working on-site and using electrical equipment. To ensure any mains powered electrical appliances bought for educational use within the school are noted on a register, given a unique school number, and the location noted. To advise staff and students that electrical equipment used within the school must be registered for electrical safety testing. To ensure records are maintained of all statutory tests on electrical circuits, appliances and equipment contained in the electrical register. To ensure tests and inspections are completed and recorded in the allotted time scale. RESPONSIBILITY: For ensuring a register of all electrical appliances is kept, updated and a statutory test schedule maintained - Headteacher. For ensuring that all statutory tests are carried out by competent staff, and that the centrally located schedule is maintained - Headteacher. For ensuring contractors are registered and equipment to be used is at an acceptable standard with a valid test certificate - Facilities Manager. For ensuring in-house repairs on electrical equipment is done safely by competent trained staff using recognised safe procedures - Facilities Manager. Page 1 of 11
RESPONSIBILITY cont: For ensuring all electrical equipment in constant daily use in the school is in a safe condition - all line managers, workshop technicians and stores staff. For ensuring all electrical line diagrams are maintained up to date - Facilities Manager. For testing and ensuring emergency lighting system is maintained and available if required in emergencies - Facilities Manager. For the safe control of the work of contractors using electrical equipment - Facilities Manager. DEFINITIONS: Class 1 equipment: Has Live, Neutral and Earth connections. Class 2 equipment: Has Live and Neutral connections only. Portable equipment: Is that which can be easily moved while connected to the mains supply e.g. toaster, kettle. Transportable equipment: Weighs not more than 18 kg, or is fitted with means to facilitate ease of movement. Hand held equipment: Is designed to be held or gripped while in use e.g. power hand tool. Fixed equipment: Is that fixed to a structure, is wired directly to an electrical supply, and cannot be moved e.g. electric hand dryer. Residual Current Device: Safety feature designed to fail to safety in the event of an earth fault Page 2 of 11
APPENDICES: Forms 1. Electrical Safety Visual Inspection Form (HS-ESVIF) Reference Documents 2. Portable Appliance Testing Programme (HS-ESPATP) 3. Portable Appliance Testing Time Intervals (HS-ESPATTI) RELATED INFORMATION: Health and Safety at Work etc., Act 1974 Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 HSE IND(G) 102L - Electrical Safety for Entertainers HSE Engineering Information Sheet No.35 Safety in electrical testing - servicing and repair of domestic appliances HSE Engineering Information Sheet No.36 Safety in electrical testing - servicing and repair of audio, TV and computer equipment HSE Engineering Information Sheet No. 37 Safety in electrical testing - switchgear and control gear Page 3 of 11
1.0 EQUIPMENT REGISTER AND INSPECTIONS 1.1 All electrical equipment used within NGS will be identifiable and be included in a regular inspection regime. 1.2 A tag carrying a unique number will be attached to every electrical item. 1.3 A register will be compiled such that the tag number, the electrical item it relates to, the ownership of the item in the school and the date scheduled for the next inspection, last test and result are logged. 1.4 Hard copy records of the formal annual visual inspection (Ref. Appendix 1 HS- ESVIF) will be retained by the Facilities Manager for a period of 3 years. 1.5 A computer database containing the results of the cyclic 3-yearly full inspection and testing of equipment (Ref. Appendix 2 HS-ESPATP) will be maintained by the Facilities Manager. 1.6 Time intervals between inspections will be governed by the function of the item, the frequency of usage and the conditions in which it must operate (Ref. Appendix 3 HS-ESPATTI). 1.7 All temporary wiring will be logged and inspected before use, also ensuring there is no tripping hazard created by the wiring. 1.8 Damaged equipment will immediately be identified then withdrawn from service. Any user can do this at any time, and such equipment should not be re-used until it has been examined, repaired and tested by a competent person. 1.9 During inspections, note will be made where there is suspicion of interference with the electrical equipment, possibly by unskilled persons. 1.10 Multi-blocks will be included in inspections and the duties demanded of these assessed. It is possible that more mains outlets are required. This could also prevent long trailing leads causing tripping hazards. 1.11 If it is difficult to supply extra sockets, users should ensure cables are bunched together, tied and routed in such a way to avoid main pedestrian traffic routes. 1.12 Fixed electrical circuitry will be itemised by location area and the statutory inspections of these will be done every five years by employing outside competent and registered contractors. Page 4 of 11
2.0 ELECTRICAL REPAIRS 2.1 HAND TOOLS/PORTABLE APPARATUS 2.1.1 No unauthorised member of staff will do any electrical repairs on any equipment belonging to NGS. This means all repairs regardless of how trivial the task may appear e.g. changing a plug fuse. 2.1.2 Selected members of school staff will be trained to a required level of competency as only those suitably qualified in terms of the Regulations may work on electrical equipment for which they have received training. 2.1.3 Repairs may be carried out in situ or the item may be removed to a workshop. 2.1.4 Where repairs have been carried out, the item will be tested, and the repairs logged in the maintenance log. 2.1.5 All such items will be given a routine inspection after repairs have been completed. 2.1.6 If repairs cannot be done, the item must be scrapped and it must be removed from the register. 2.2 OTHER ELECTRICAL DRIVEN EQUIPMENT 2.2.1 Authorised and competent members of staff only will carry out any electrical repairs on equipment belonging to NGS. 2.2.2 Before repair work or maintenance on any electrical item, it will be necessary to effectively isolate it from electric supplies. 2.2.3 This will be true for work done by both employees and contractors, except where the contractor has a suitable method of live working. 2.2.4 If equipment is supplied by plug and socket, switch off and pull the plug. 2.2.5 Withdraw the plug fuse so that if the plug is inadvertently put back in, no danger ensues. 2.2.6 Remove the mains fuse from the circuit in question if possible. 2.2.7 For supplies permanently wired to an on/off switch box the switch is thrown to the Off position and a notice hung on the starter - "Danger - Do Not Use". This is not a means of isolation in itself but serves to highlight there is a hazard present. 2.2.8 The equipment will be subject to a circuit test to check integrity of the isolation before the work starts. Page 5 of 11
3.0 LIVE WORK 3.1 If "live work" is necessary or if the isolations have to be removed during the repairs then other considerations are required. 3.2 A permit to work must be issued for "live work", especially the work being done by contractors. The contractor will have proved himself to be a "competent" person prior to having been awarded the contract (certification must be provided). 3.3 Supervision by a member of school staff may be carried out under such circumstances. 3.4 If other means considered offer no reasonably practicable alternatives to "live working", then it will be allowed under the constraints listed above. 4.0 MONITORING PROCEDURES 4.1. All school staff will be instructed not to use any electrical equipment thought to be damaged or defective 4.2. Should any faulty equipment be observed, a warning notice should be attached and immediate notification should be made to the Facilities Manager. 4.3. All staff should observe electrical equipment in use in their area for signs of cable damage, loose plugs, cracked casings, overlong cable systems or overloaded multipoints. 5.0 PERSONAL EQUIPMENT 5.1 Employees are only permitted to bring their own electrical appliances into work if their line manager has given permission. If the line manager has permitted an employee to bring an electrical appliance into work, the manager is then responsible for ensuring the safety of that appliance. 5.2 Electrical items that are not new must be PAT tested, with any faults rectified, before they are brought onto site. 5.3 The line manager must ensure that any electrical appliance brought onto site by an employee, is PAT tested and visually inspected at the same frequency as other portable electrical appliances. Page 6 of 11
Appendix 1 Portable Appliance Testing Programme (HS-ESPATP) There are two different types of visual examinations which may be carried out on portable electrical equipment: (1) User checks and, (2) Formal visual inspections. (1) User Checks Use checks are simple checks which are concerned only with the visually accessible parts of the equipment and its cable, plug and any extension cable and these may be carried out by anyone. User checks should be carried out at regular intervals and especially after equipment has been relocated or unused for any significant length of time. User checks do not require to be recorded although Schools may prefer to do so. User checks on IT equipment in low risk environments should be carried out when equipment has been relocated and a note of this check should be recorded on the Display Screen Equipment Risk Assessment form. (2) Formal visual inspections Formal visual inspections differ in that they require the inside of the plug to be examined in addition to the points noted in the User checks. As this requires access to the plug these checks should be carried out by those with some degree of technical competence and awareness. Details on the recommended frequencies for formal visual inspections are available in Appendix 2. Records should be kept of formal visual inspections and a simple model checklist record is available at Appendix 3. Where a fault is identified during either type of examination, the item of faulty equipment must be immediately taken out of service and labelled to indicate that the equipment must not be used [DO NOT USE - Equipment Faulty]. The equipment should be repaired by contacting the Facilities Manager or the Site Manager. Page 7 of 11
Appendix 2 Portable Appliance Testing Time Intervals (HS-ESPATTI) The recommended intervals between electrical tests and formal visual inspections which are tabled below are optimal and may require to be reviewed in the light of experience. These frequencies are based on the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), 'Code of Practice for In- Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment' and the Health and Safety Executive's HSG 107 'Maintaining Portable and Transportable Electrical Equipment'. EQUIPMENT VISUAL INSPECTION FREQUENCY TESTING FREQUENCY See Note 1 Stationary equipment None 12 months IT equipment None 12 months Movable equipment 4 months 12 months Portable equipment 4 months 12 months Hand-held equipment 4 months 12 months IT equipment in offices, libraries and similar low risk accommodation. Double insulated equipment (excluding items covered above). 6 months 12 months 24 Months None Notes: 1 Records should be kept of all formal visual inspections and tests of electrical equipment and a model checklist record for formal visual inspections is available to assist with this. Further details on visual inspections can be found in Appendix 1, and a Visual Inspection Form in Appendix 3. Where the formal visual inspection frequency and the electrical testing frequency coincide, the formal visual inspection will be incorporated into, and therefore part of the electrical test. Where they don't coincide, visual inspections will need to be carried out by Schools, etc at local level. New Equipment There is no requirement to carry out tests or formal visual inspections on new items of electrical equipment prior to the equipment being put into first use; however, a user check should be carried out to identify any obvious visual evidence of damage. Further details on Page 8 of 11
user checks can be found in Appendix 1. If there are any signs of damage, the equipment must not be used and referred back to the supplier/manufacturer, and/or thoroughly tested for electrical safety. Appendix 3 Electrical Safety Visual Inspection Form (HS-ESVIF) The table below highlights the points to be checked: User Check Visual Inspection Signs of mechanical damage, overheating or corrosion Cable Hardening of outer insulation Kinking of cable Plug Coiling of long lengths of cable A situation where future mechanical damage or corrosion is likely Signs of mechanical damage or corrosion Signs of overheating, e.g. discolouration or distortion Cable clamp holding cable securely, where appropriate Wires connected to correct terminals and of the correct length - Un-insulated ends of wires completely covered by the screws Securing screws suitably tight - Fuse of correct rating fitted - - Equipment Metal casing damaged Grommet, or other protection at place where cable passes through the casing, damaged or missing Page 9 of 11
Plastic casing of double insulated equipment damaged Damaged or defective switches Signed: Mr S Bridge (Chair) Date: Sites & Buildings Committee Reviewed Annually. Page 10 of 11