Page 59 - The City and Guilds Textbook: Plumbing Book 1 for the Level 3 Apprenticeship (9189), Level 2 Technical Certificate (8202) and Level 2 Diploma (6035)

Chapter 1 Health and safety practices and systems

it is necessary to have in place a programme of inspection and electrical safety
testing of portable appliances.

Records should be kept of all inspections and tests made and these should be
up to date at all times. PAT testing helps to ensure:

● earlier recognition of potentially serious equipment faults, such as poor
earthing
● discovery of inappropriate electrical supply
● discovery of incorrect fuses being used
● the misuse of portable equipment can be monitored
● an increased awareness of hazards linked to electricity.
ACTIVITY
How often should your electrical power tools be checked and PAT tested? Look
at the table below.

Type of equipment Formal visual inspection Combined inspection and
testing
Construction sites 110 V equipment
Stationary equipment Monthly 3 months
IT equipment Monthly 3 months
Movable equipment Monthly 3 months
Portable equipment Monthly 3 months
Hand-held equipment Monthly 3 months

Visual inspections of power tools
Before using any portable electrical appliance, you should always carry out
safety checks:
● Is there a recent PAT label attached to the equipment?
● Are there overheating or burn marks on the plug, cable, sockets or the
equipment?
● Are any bare wires or conductors visible?
● Is the cable covering undamaged and free from cuts and abrasions?
● Is the cable too long, or too short?
● Is the cable a trip hazard?
● Is the plug in good condition (not cracked and the pins are not bent)?
● Are there any taped or other non-standard joints in the cable?
● Is the outer covering of the cable where it should be (i.e. no coloured wires
are visible)?
● Is the outer casing of the equipment damaged or loose?
● Are ‘trip-out’ devices working effectively (i.e. RCD adapters)?

When using portable electrical power tools, you should always:
● wear or use PPE or clothing that is appropriate for the work you are doing
● switch off the tools before connecting them to a power supply
● if a power cord feels too warm or if a tool is sparking, have it checked by an
electrician or other qualified person

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