Electrical appliance safety

The problem

The owner/manager of a 40-room hotel spends around £800 a year on a sub-contractor to carry out portable appliance testing. The testing takes place over two days and gaining access to all the rooms can cause problems. He wants to investigate the possibility of this being done in-house to reduce costs and allow flexibility in the timing of the tests. However, he is keen not to fall foul of the regulations.

The law

The Electricity at Work Regulations (1989) require that "all electrical systems shall be maintained so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, any danger". This is interpreted as covering the fixed electrical installation as well as portable and transportable equipment connected to it. The regulations also state that "it is the duty of every employer and self-employed person to comply with the provisions of these regulations".

Expert advice

You do not have to be an electrician to implement a programme to maintain portable and transportable electrical appliances. A hotel is considered to be a "low-risk" environment and a few simple procedures will go a long way to ensuring the safety of guests and staff.

Involve the staff by encouraging them to look for signs of a possible hazard as part of their daily routine in each room. They should look for damage to the outside of any equipment, their leads and plugs. Any suspected faults should be reported to a supervisor.

Periodically, a more detailed formal check is necessary. As well as looking for signs of damage as above, plug covers should be removed and wiring inspected. Any designated member of staff who has some guidance on what to look for can carry this out. It is important to record the outcome.

Although about 95% of potential problems can be eliminated by visual inspection alone, there are some faults that cannot be picked up. Hence some testing is necessary to complement the inspection. If a tester with pass/fail indication is used, a member of staff who has been given appropriate instructions can carry out this stage. This testing should be combined with an inspection and the outcome must be recorded.

The frequency of the formal inspection and the testing depends on a number of factors. One is environment. As mentioned, hotels and tourist accommodation are generally considered to be "low-risk". Another factor is the type of appliance. For example, a transportable item such as a kettle needs to be inspected every year but requires testing only every two years.

A hand-held item such as a hairdryer would have to be inspected every six months. On the other hand, a PC in the office that is rarely moved need be inspected only every two years and tested every four years.

It is quite straightforward to implement this three-stage plan of staff checks, formal inspection and testing. With testers costing around only £300 there are substantial cost savings to be made. As annual testing is necessary with only certain equipment, there is plenty of flexibility to schedule the testing to fit in with the normal running of the hotel.

Check list

Beware!

A poorly maintained electrical appliance can seriously injure or kill a user. If a guest were to be injured during a stay, then in addition to compensation claims the hotel owner/manager may be subject to an investigation by the Health & Safety Executive that could lead to a prosecution and hefty fines.

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