Electricity

Your legal responsibilities

You are required to maintain any electrical equipment that could present a risk of danger. This applies to all electrical items used by your employees at work, whether they are personally owned or provided by you.

In some situations, a simple user check and visual inspection will be sufficient - for example, looking for loose cables, scorch marks, or other signs of damage, and, where possible, inspecting inside the plug for issues such as exposed wires or an incorrect fuse.

However, other types of equipment, such as a floor cleaner or kettle, may require Portable Appliance Testing (PAT), although this does not necessarily need to be carried out annually.

Which laws apply?

• The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
• The Electricity at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1991

PAT testing

You must do a Portable Appliance Test (PAT) of any appliance that has a plug and can be moved.

You're not required to frequently test portable appliances, but you must make sure your electrical appliances are maintained. The HSE publishes specific advice on portable electrical appliances, depending on your work environment.

Regular electrical testing may also be required under your insurance policy. You should read the terms of your individual policy to check this.

Reducing risk

You should keep an eye on portable electrical appliances and encourage employees to carry out a user visual check of both the power cable and the equipment before using it. All portable electrical items should be visually inspected from time to time.

In the HSE publication Maintaining Portable Electrical Equipment (HSG107), there is a table that suggests how often different types of equipment should be tested to ensure they remain safe.