General health and safety information
Electricity is present in every workplace and every electrical appliance used in workplaces, all over the United Kingdom (and the world). Electricity is invisible, taken for granted and usually overlooked as a workplace hazard - mainly because we have all become so used to it being there; but also because the appliances we use protect us so well. When [...]
One of the biggest electrical problems in the workplace is the use of portable appliances, such as computers, kettles, toasters, etc. but it is also a problem that is not going to go away. Modern technology is improving all the time so you'd think appliances are getting safer but with the huge surge of cheap (and fake) goods coming [...]
A British safety standard from 1947 that requires the top hole of the 3-hole socket to have a "shutter" on the inside means that the live and neutral holes can't be accessed until the shutters are opened. That happens when the earth pin of the plug is inserted into the top hole, thus opening the shutter. Only by inserting [...]
Grenfell was a shocking incident (some info), and what it showed us was that electrical appliances do catch fire, they can cause major issues and they should be maintained better. It’s led to all kinds of campaigns and awareness raising such as the need for registering appliances and checking appliances against recall notices - how many appliances are [...]
(this is not our article; it has been taken direct from the UK Government website) BSI Code of Practice will help businesses understand what to do if their product needs to be recalled. Published 7 March 2018 From: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Office for Product Safety and Standards, and Andrew Griffiths MP Code of Practice (PAS 7100) [...]
This video from You Tube, linked from the BS1363 website is an excellent example to show what happens when a UK plug fitted with a counterfeit BS1363 fuse is subject to a short circuit. Because the counterfeit fuse has no filling to suppress the arc it just explodes, as there's nothing else it can do, blowing the plug from [...]
Electrical appliances get recalled all the time, for all kinds of reasons, often simple maintenance issues where if you get in touch with the manufacturer they'll send an engineer out to do the work, but sometimes it's because a fault has been found that makes the appliance highly dangerous, like it could overheat and catch fire. If there is [...]
Socket Testing - is it really necessary? Socket Testing - is it really necessary? Your electrical wall sockets should be tested by an electrician when they do an electrical installation certificate report; you hope they were installed correctly and so it's just a case of checking them every 3-5 years in a business premises. However not [...]
If you follow the news you will be aware of the importance of making sure your electrical appliances are registered, so if there are ever any safety notices placed on them, you can be informed. When the risk is the appliance may catch fire, you should want to be informed. The good news is, registering for updates doesn't take [...]
Finding faulty extension leads Faulty extension leads can be rather dangerous, so finding them is important in protecting peoples lives. Imagine going to a well known supermarket to buy your extension leads because you think they should provide the best products only to discover they are cheaply made, high profit appliances - these leads are put together so badly [...]
