To comply with the ever increasing rules regarding :H&S: at work , in an owner occupied property , whilst using power tools ,what is the up to date guidance on their use? 110v. or 240v. ? If using 240v. , is it mandatory that an r.c.d. adaptor be used? P.A.T. , stickers on all extension leads , calibration certificates every 12 months?HELP!
Safe working with power tools
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110 volt or 55-0-55 with single phase is only required on farms and construction sites but it does not define construction and most factories construct something. It is not the electrical regulations but the health and safety regulations but if you follow the electrical regulations you are likely to comply with HSE regs.
There are so many odd things like for example a small shop could arrange for an electrician to check all electrical items in the shop on a bank holiday weekend and not a single PAT test sticker would be required just a receipt for the work. Although it is far safer to have stickers as if something was later found faulty it would be hard to prove it was tested.
There must be something in writing for anything to do with health and safety and the two big ones are method statements and risk assessments and if the method of using hand tools was for example to wear 1000 volt rubber gloves you can refer to this in the risk assessment and used 230 volt hand tools. Not very practical but that is how the supply is often connected in houses they don't turn street off first.
This all means there is no hard and fast rules.
If you look at a set of offices and PC's then these will be painted every 5 years I think and if you made up a plan to do one office every 6 months with refurbish fitting RCD's before there are painted with a group of 10 offices it is likely if the HSE visit they will except you are doing all reasonably possible to up-grade even though one office will be 5 years before up grade but if you didn't write down a plan and just did up an office each time you had some spare cash they will likely not except it.
The one item we were looking at was welding sets. Under the old regulations on a construction site 3KW was limit so welding sets with 16A plugs could be used on 230V but those with 13A plugs could not.
However under the new regulations not so cut and dried and it could need an RCD for 32A and below but because many welders do give electrical separation this could be considered as complying without RCD or reduced voltage.
There is now a new "Code of practice for in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment" which I have not yet bought and the old one listed the inspection times between 3 months and 4 years according to what and where they are.
There is no short cut you need to read the book and write a report laying out what you are doing and why. If you get a visit you can then produce the paperwork to show you have taken reasonable care and if you have got it wrong likely you will be given time to fix it. However if they visit and you have not got an equipment register for example then they are likely to get tough on you.
You can find examples of the forms at http://www.theiet.org/publishing/wiring-regulations/forms/index.cfm I am assuming you are a professional I have been told off for offering advice to non trade persons and to make the decisions you do need to show training the "PAT" testing course has two exams at the end one for doing the PAT testing and one for the management and if you have not got the qualifications I would advise you get someone who has.
At one firm we employed a health and safety guy two days a month and it may be a good idea to get someone to officially advise.
The fact that you have employed someone to advise again shows the HSE you are trying to comply and even if your not spot on if you are showing willing they will normally give you time to correct anything wrong. There are very help full if they think your trying but if they think your trying to pull a fast one then look out.
There are so many odd things like for example a small shop could arrange for an electrician to check all electrical items in the shop on a bank holiday weekend and not a single PAT test sticker would be required just a receipt for the work. Although it is far safer to have stickers as if something was later found faulty it would be hard to prove it was tested.
There must be something in writing for anything to do with health and safety and the two big ones are method statements and risk assessments and if the method of using hand tools was for example to wear 1000 volt rubber gloves you can refer to this in the risk assessment and used 230 volt hand tools. Not very practical but that is how the supply is often connected in houses they don't turn street off first.
This all means there is no hard and fast rules.
If you look at a set of offices and PC's then these will be painted every 5 years I think and if you made up a plan to do one office every 6 months with refurbish fitting RCD's before there are painted with a group of 10 offices it is likely if the HSE visit they will except you are doing all reasonably possible to up-grade even though one office will be 5 years before up grade but if you didn't write down a plan and just did up an office each time you had some spare cash they will likely not except it.
The one item we were looking at was welding sets. Under the old regulations on a construction site 3KW was limit so welding sets with 16A plugs could be used on 230V but those with 13A plugs could not.
However under the new regulations not so cut and dried and it could need an RCD for 32A and below but because many welders do give electrical separation this could be considered as complying without RCD or reduced voltage.
There is now a new "Code of practice for in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment" which I have not yet bought and the old one listed the inspection times between 3 months and 4 years according to what and where they are.
There is no short cut you need to read the book and write a report laying out what you are doing and why. If you get a visit you can then produce the paperwork to show you have taken reasonable care and if you have got it wrong likely you will be given time to fix it. However if they visit and you have not got an equipment register for example then they are likely to get tough on you.
You can find examples of the forms at http://www.theiet.org/publishing/wiring-regulations/forms/index.cfm I am assuming you are a professional I have been told off for offering advice to non trade persons and to make the decisions you do need to show training the "PAT" testing course has two exams at the end one for doing the PAT testing and one for the management and if you have not got the qualifications I would advise you get someone who has.
At one firm we employed a health and safety guy two days a month and it may be a good idea to get someone to officially advise.
The fact that you have employed someone to advise again shows the HSE you are trying to comply and even if your not spot on if you are showing willing they will normally give you time to correct anything wrong. There are very help full if they think your trying but if they think your trying to pull a fast one then look out.
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