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Why you must not plug electric heaters into extension leads

This is a true story, that happened in October 2021. It was a Tuesday in October 2021; we had a 3-man team working in a busy office/production business in Newcastle upon Tyne. The company is very well run, with many intelligent personal, many of whom are electrical engineers - we're saying this to show that even people who should know better can make mistakes. In the reception office, where it was cold, mainly because the building had no real ceilings, just a corrugated roof, so the receptionist was running an electric convection heater. It had a sealed plug - they [...]

2021-10-25T17:11:42+00:00Health and Safety|

Workplaces returning to work must prioritise compliance

With the end of lockdown, many companies are preparing to return to working in the office. However, the HSE is urging businesses to pay close attention to compliance regulations, as many properties may have gone without inspection during the lockdown period. Electrical compliance is extremely important to mitigate risk and stay within the law. Over the lockdown period, it is likely that many electrical appliances' certificates of compliance may have expired, meaning they must be renewed and inspected by professionals to be safe for use. The Electricity at Work Regulations state that no electrical equipment should be used when its capability or [...]

2021-10-13T09:12:51+00:00Health and Safety|

PAT Testing Labels

DRA's PAT testing labels We use our own professional branded company labels; we have used labels in this format and colour scheme for many years. Every label has its own unique ID number, which matches just one appliance in our database; the appliance it is attached to. Each label is pre-printed with the month and year the test takes place; it doesn't need the retest date on as that has not been a requirement since 2012. Showing the date the test took place is the most important, and the PAT Testing Certificate Report you get shows [...]

2021-09-08T05:34:03+00:00PAT Testing Info|

HSE update “Thorough examination and testing of equipment” guidance

The HSE advises businesses to get their electrical inspections done as soon as possible The HSE advises businesses that have missed their usual ‘retest’ due to the pandemic to get that test done as soon as possible to bring their records up to date. In early April (2021) the Health and Safety Executive updated their guidance for “thorough examination and testing of equipment“, which includes electrical equipment, and this was agreed with by the Portable Appliance Testing Trade Association - and we agree too. The HSE have stated that during the coronavirus pandemic, businesses may have found it [...]

2021-09-22T08:24:02+00:00DRA News / Info|

Safe PAT testing for Home Workers

Home visits provide a unique opportunity to carry out Covid - safe PAT testing of electrical equipment provided by companies for their staff to use whilst working from home. Safe PAT testing for Home Workers - home visits If your staff are working from home due to Covid, as an employer you want the peace of mind that the equipment you supply staff with is as safe now as it was when it left the office. For some, it has been over 6 months now (Oct 2020) since the equipment was taken home and [...]

2021-11-08T10:51:02+00:00Health and Safety, Safety notices|

Tips for the safe use of electrical extension leads

Top 15 Tips for the safe use of electrical extension leads When we are PAT testing in offices, building sites and pretty much every business we see a lot of instances where socket extension leads are used incorrectly. Here we have put together a list of 15 top tips for the safe use of the extension lead. Electrical extension leads are often used incorrectly, just because it has 4 sockets doesn't mean they all need using at the same time. The one we see most often is daisy chasing; we spend a lot of time educating our clients in [...]

2021-10-11T12:12:08+00:00Health and Safety|

Dangers and Failures we find

This plug is on a 4-gang extension lead that was overloaded, and so it overheated and melted - this was not in an industrial environment as you'd expect but an office in Newcastle upon Tyne. This may not look like much but big problems often start off small; this has likely been caused by the lead being pulled to unplug it. We replaced the plug. It's not just problem plugs we come across; this socket is testament to that. This socket like many others specially installed in an office was intended to supply [...]

2020-09-22T21:08:57+00:00Failures|

What you need to know about PAT Testing

What you need to know about PAT Testing Pat Testing (also known as Portable Appliance Testing) is a way of checking your electrical equipment to see if it is SAFE. PAT Testing is an important part of your organisation's Health and Safety regime. It doesn't matter whether you're a small business or a large multi-site corporation; if you use electrical equipment in your business, then you have a responsibility to make sure it is safe. Additionally many insurance companies insist that PAT Testing be carried out every 12 months (or less) in order to satisfy the conditions of their [...]

2021-09-22T08:24:57+00:00PAT Testing Info|

Why PAT test?

Why PAT Test? Electrical equipment that is purchased from a reputable supplier should be of a satisfactory safety standard, but it must be maintained to stay that way, so that it does not deteriorate so far that it puts users at risk.  It is recognised that PAT Testing is the easiest and best way to check electrical equipment is safe, and the process that is followed to achieve this includes carrying out repairs to ensure the appliance is safe.  Using a local PAT testing company to do this is a benefit to you as it means if you need [...]

2021-09-04T15:27:12+00:00PAT Testing Info|

Can I PAT test my own equipment?

Can I PAT test my own equipment? Yes, you can PAT test your own equipment; if you are a competent person with the relevant training, knowledge, equipment and time. It is essential that you or someone in your business is competent in electrical safety if you/they are going to carry out PAT testing. A competent person should: have good knowledge of electricity have experience of electrical work know how to carry out a visual inspection know how to carry out a portable appliance test understand the potential hazards of electricity & precautions to take when carrying out a PAT [...]

2021-10-18T13:24:13+00:00PAT Testing Info|
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