Newsletter November 2019

October saw the AW Safety team office manager Amanda Neuville and our trainer Glyn Bagshaw visit the Football in the Community team at the Stags Football ground during the October half term holiday club, in support of the British Heart Foundation yearly campaign. The children enjoyed their short Restart-a-Heart workshop learning vital skills like assessing a casualty and performing CPR.

Thanks to the Football in the Community team for partnering with AW Safety Management Ltd for enriching the children’s learning whilst attending their ever popular school holiday club.

More AWSM Community News

Richard Kinnaird our very own Business Development Manager seen below sharing some of his mixed martial arts mastery with the Edwinstowe local scout group run by Adrian Kirkby one of our H&S consultants. By picture 3 that headlock position seems pretty convincing, are you sure you weren’t being hustled here Richard? Get out of that if you can!!

AWSM are always happy to share the skills and knowledge of our employees with community information and skills events.

Is PAT Testing A Legal Requirement?

There is currently no strict legal requirement for PAT testing. The Government however has introduced regulations into place that pertain to the maintenance of electrical appliances and the most effective way to ensure that these regulations are met are through scheduled PAT testing all your office, site or mobile equipment.

The UK HSE (Health and Safety Executive) along with insurance companies will expect you to perform regular PAT testing to ensure that you are compliant with certain regulations including:

• Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974

• The Electricity at Work Regulations of 1989
• The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations of 1998
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations of 1999

Failure to comply with the above-mentioned regulations can result in fines up to £5,000 and/or six months imprisonment. Historically fines have been seen to rise as high as £20,000, and offences heard in the Crown Court have carried sentences of more than 2 years imprisonment in additional to any unlimited financial penalties.

So even though PAT testing itself is not legally required, it simply helps you to protect yourself and your business by ensuring that you are complying with these regulations.  The law does however require that employers, including those  self-employed, ensure that all electrical equipment they provide in their business is safe and properly maintained. This means that PAT testing is a critical part of your company’s health and safety operations and should be considered part of the solution to any safety concerns.

In order to determine how often you should have your appliances tested, you should bear in mind a few different factors:

1. 1. Equipment that is used more should be tested more frequently. This equipment is likely to suffer less damage than that used regularly.
   2. If people using equipment report any damages as they become noticeable, there is less chance of a major hazard. If equipment regularly receives damage or abuse that is not reported then inspections and testing are required more frequently.
   3. The type of equipment in question is a major factor in determining PAT testing frequency. Hand-held appliances are more likely to become damaged than those that are stationary. Class 1 appliances carry the greatest risk of danger and should be tested more often.

For PAT testing frequency, these are come common recommendations:

Construction – All 110V equipment used on construction sites should be tested every 3 months.

Industrial – All industrial sites, including commercial kitchens should have Portable and Handheld equipment tested every 6 months. Stationary, IT and Moveable equipment should be tested every 12 months.

Offices, Shops and Hotels – Class 1 equipment including stationery IT equipment should be tested every 48 months. Moveable equipment such as extension leads, and portable equipment should be tested every 24 months. Handheld equipment should be tested every 12 months.

Schools – All Class 1 equipment in schools should be PAT tested every 12 months. Class 2 equipment should be tested every 48 months.

Public Use Equipment – Stationery and IT equipment such as computers should be tested every 12 months. Moveable, Portable and Handheld equipment falling into Class 2 should be tested every 12 months. Moveable, Portable and Handheld equipment falling into Class 1 should be tested every 6 months.

Article written by Adrian Kirkby – AW Safety Management H&S consultant

For fast and reliable Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) services at competitive rates  get in touch with AW Safety  today call 01623 821516 or visit www.awsafety.co.uk

Don’t just take our word for it, see what our customers have to say on our testimonials page.

Take a look at our additional 18 seat training room. Contact us for all your H&S training needs. See our “offers of the month” to get the latest on our fantastic training course deals.

Call 01623 821524 or email training@awsafety.co.uk for more details.

2020 Open Course online booking facility is now available.….visit our website www.awsafety.co.uk