Electricity Extension Cables in a Shop

[jamiegleave]

Hi all

Wonder if anyone can help me. My wife is adament that you cannot use a 4-way extension lead or those multi-point sockets in a shop/commerical environment. Is this the case? I am looking to rejig her shop and I need 4 sockets for various gear (till, scales etc) and I only have 2 available next to the counter. The above would solve the problem, but she says the previous owners were told this wasn't allowed.

Is this true and, if so, what Regs does this come under...? I am more curious than anything as I can get around it if needs be.

Thanks

Jamie

 

[timbim]

You can certainly use a 4 way (or indeed any number of ways) bar and cord extension. I would steer well clear of the box type socket doublers, as I don't consider them very safe or reliable.

Of course you are required to ensure that all electrical equipment is safe, one way to prove that would be by PAT testing. Don't let anyone persuade you that PAT in itself is a legal requirement, it isn't.

Tim

 

[Alarm]

Trip hazzard is the only thing I can think of.

 

[mfarrow]

My girlfriend's employer went safety mad a few years ago, and started asking for risk assessments for all activities and items. Each shop was given an inspection and a report issued.

One of the things the shops were told they must do (though hers didn't) was replace the 4-way extension leads with ones with in-built switches.

Quite what the advantage of having switches on these sockets was, apart from convenience of not having to pull the plug to disconnect, I don't know. But it certainly questioning the wisdom of the H&S experts called in to consult, and presumably got paid a pretty penny for it.

So something like this may be where she's heard it from. I'd go ahead and install, and avoid tripping hazards where possible.

 

[securespark]

Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

These all cover electrical safety and they all have a year after their names, which makes them law.

A PAT test itself is not a legal requirement, but proof that electrical equipment is regularly tested and safe to use is.

A regular PAT test is one (and IMO the most court-friendly) way to prove this.

 

[jamiegleave]

Brilliant - thanks everyone! I will run with the extension cord then!

 

[big-all]

i personally would not think it is best practice in a commercial situation
how do you gtee that the maximum load will be 13 amps and dont say the fuse because you can overload a 4 way sockets by around 20% and it will happily keep working
and as we all know they are prone to failure if loaded near to maximum never mind over maximum