Do You Need A Fire Alarm Installation For Your Business?

Having a fire alarm installed is a legal requirement for premises that require them, but many employers are not certain whether they should have one installed or not.

The fact is that you probably do not need a fire alarm if all of the following statements are true:

• Your premises are small, simple, and single-storey or open-plan
• You don’t store any high-risk substances, such as chemicals
• You don’t undertake any high-risk activities, such as cooking
• You don’t have any vulnerable occupants, such as the very young, elderly or disabled.
• A fire would be easily spotted if it broke out anywhere in the premises
• A shout of ‘fire!’ would be easily heard by all occupants

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The Reason Why Regular PAT Testing Is Necessary For Your Business

Portable Appliance Testing – also known as PAT testing – is the process of ensuring that all of the appliances that you, as an employer, require your employees to use are actually safe for them to do so. This can be everything from a computer, to the office coffee making machine. The law actually requires you to ensure that they are safe to use, the specific law being the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.

This is why portable appliance testing is essential.  A qualified engineer carries out visual checks and also uses a pat testing machine to  give the necessary readings to identify if the appliance is safe or not.  The only way that you can be certain is to have regular PAT testing of all your electrical items.

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The Risk Of Employing Tradesmen Who Are Not Sufficiently Qualified

The technical director, Mike Smith, and director of employment and skills, Andrew Eldred, of the Electrical Contractors Association, have highlighted the continued risk of fire, following the Grenfell fire, as a result of the use of what they refer to as under-qualified installers.

Their view is that electricians, plumbers, and builders who are insufficiently qualified are still being used, and that this is likely to lead to a higher risk of electrocution and fire.

They have warned both the government and industry against a “counterproductive trend towards short classroom-based courses which claim to prepare budding tradespeople for electrical and other installation work. They do not provide the technical understanding, or the extended real-life, on-the-job experience needed to ensure safe electrical work”.

They also say that in particular “it is time to say a final goodbye to the so-called “five-week wonders” – wrongly deemed by some as competent to design and install electrical work”. In addition, they state that within the electrotechnical industry many individuals are claiming to be competent electricians despite having trained, in some cases, for only a matter of weeks.

The problem with all this for a businessman or woman is that they could quite easily call in someone to repair an electrical appliance, or change the wiring on something, in the belief that the electrician that arrived is fully qualified Pat Tester and therefore competent to carry out whatever work is required. Let’s face it, electricity can be extremely dangerous, and it is worrying that you could discover that the electrician who arrived had spent five weeks in a classroom and had precious little experience of practical work out in the real world.

PAT Testing Is Essential In Order To Ensure Safety Of Electrical Equipment

In order to ensure the safety of portable electrical appliances, it is necessary to have Portable Appliance Testing done on a regular basis. The legal requirements relating to the use of electrical equipment are contained in the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and require that electrical equipment and systems must be maintained, so far as is reasonably practical, to prevent danger.

That includes equipment that is either hand-held or hand-operated while connected to the supply or is intended to be moved or likely to be moved. Any extension leads, plugs, sockets, and cord sets that supply the power are also classed as portable equipment. This also includes appliances which are fixed such as in public areas of hotels or changing rooms, like hair dryers. The electrical supply to the equipment is assumed to be of a voltage that can give a fatal electric shock.

There are certain things to bear in mind. For example, equipment that is used more should be tested more frequently, for the simple reason that it is more likely to get damaged. If people report any damage to regularly used equipment, then there is less chance of a problem. However, if equipment regularly receives abuse or damage, then PAT testing should be carried out more often.

Furthermore, the type of equipment that is being used also has an effect. Hand-held appliances are more likely to suffer damage than those which are stationary, even if they are described as portable.