What To Test
Staff Property
In some places of work, members of staff bring radios, mobile phone chargers and other such items to make their working day more enjoyable. As the item is plugged in to your supply and on your premises, then it becomes you responsibility. So any such items should be tested, and engineers will test them unless instructed not to do so.
Any appliance that is plugged into the mains power should be tested, from hand tools,
radios, irons and kettles to heavier items like air-
I.E.E. recommendations state that detachable cords have to be tested and classed as a separate item and labelled accordingly. In the case of I.T. equipment, the test which is required for the leads cannot be applied to the appliance due to the sensitive components and circuits within the item. So one PC with monitor and a printer will require 5 to 6 individual tests. Appliances such as photocopiers and mail processing machines and all manner of office equipment should and can be tested. You must indicate to us whether you require your server to be tested as you will be required to power down all server and comms equipment, alternatively we can carry out a visual inspection (usually carried out for servers due to interruption to business).
How Often Testing Should Be Done
Frequency of test and visual inspection differ for types of premises, and are derived by carrying out a RISK ASSESSMENT. The I.E.E. provide a suggestion for frequency of the above mentioned, however we find that most premises have an annual combined visual and test carried out independently along with their own visual inspections and / or testing through out the year as required.
It is recommended that items which are frequently used should be tested more frequently i.e. vacuum cleaners, tea urns, kettles and hand tools every 3 to 6 months or so, dependent on the type of premises and the outcome of the risk assessment. Items that are static such as fridge freezers and personal computers should be tested every 12 to 48 months again dependent on the type of premises and the outcome of your risk assessment. In order for the testing to be cost effective, we would recommend in most cases that you have all your items tested annually independently (Remembering that this is like an MOT for electrical safety) with provisions to have your own periodic inspection in place and a user check, every time the appliance is used.
You are also advised to check your insurance policy as more and more insurers are now placing requirements for having your electrical testing and documentation up to date.
Please find the tables HERE which shows the frequency of safety inspection and testing suggested by the I.E.E. It must however be noted that these are suggestions and the frequency of the test should be derived following your own individual risk assessment.
