The maze of regulations and rules surrounding businesses can be blinding at the most effective of times, but the last thing you intend to do is break a principle that is easy to put in place. Whether you’re a brand new business owner, or manager of an established business with new equipment, electrical safety in the workplace is one requirement that may be easily fulfilled.

As the law does not require electrical testing to be carried out, it does require your electrical equipment to be safe at all times.

Electricity will always find the simplest way to earth. Any faults or weaknesses within your electrical installation or portable appliances can go undetected. In the case of another fault developing, this can lead to serious risk of fire, electrocution or death. For example, a 13-amp ring-main without earth continuity could render all metal elements of appliances connected to it “LIVE” if one item on the ring developed a fault to earth.

In 1989 The Electricity at Work Regulations came into force, which clarifies the requirement to maintain electrical systems safely. Regulations require that “all electrical tools and equipment used by construction workers should be safe to use” and that “any electric tools hired out to end-users should be safe to use” ;.In the workplace the regulations specify that employers take steps to limit the risk of harm from electricity and electrical systems, and including both electrical installations and electrical equipment.

These regulations apply to many electrical equipment – consumer, commercial and industrial – operating between 50 volts and 1,000 volts AC or between 75 volts and 1,500 volts DC.

The only method to ensure every effort is manufactured towards a safe workplace, and to ensure you can back up your effort if things fail, is to possess regular electrical testing carried on all the electrical equipment at your workplace. Landlord electrical safety certificate This may accurately identify faults, their locations and usually the recommended solution.

Increasingly, insurers are insisting that inspection and testing be carried on a regular basis. If you suffer an avoidable accident, then under law if found guilty you will soon be deemed to possess committed a criminal offence. Insurers won’t pay fines or compensation suffered caused by a criminal offence

Compared to the hassle and possible costs of a problem developing, having your installations and appliances tested is simple and normally quite affordable.

The IEE recommend that Electrical Installations are tested every 10 years (for domestic), 5 years (for commercial) or 3 years (for industrial). Depending on the risk-rating for a particular item, Portable Appliance Testing must be carried out every 3-24 months. High risk items include site equipment and workshop equipment, often involved with heavy workloads under arduous conditions, and far more prone to develop a fault in a shorter time period than office equipment.

Worries over power-interruptions and work disruption can be eased, as electrical testing rarely causes such delays. A brief power outage can be likely on each circuit within the device as testing is carried out, but because most of the testing is carried out whilst the device is still live, these outages can be planned around your daily activities.

Whenever choosing an Electrical Testing Surveyor and other contractor to carry out your tests, ensure they charge by circuit numbers and not living area (which does not have any bearing on what much circuitry there might or may possibly not be in virtually any given square foot). Also ensure you will receive proper and elaborative reports and paperwork for your reports, to give you ample documentation for your efforts.

It can also be recommended to look for a company that holds a certificate from the UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service), ensuring they are accredited with the appropriate qualifications and standards for the job.

Finding this kind of qualified professional to carry out your electrical testing satisfies most of the legal requirements for your workplace, and covers you and your employees money for hard times in the eyes of regulations – subject, of course, to any remedial work requirements being addressed as identified by testing.