Maintenance portable appliances

Portable Electrical Equipment in Hotels and Tourist Accommodation. In these publications the HSE recommends that a three-level system of inspection can give cost-effective maintenance of portable appliances. These are ... 

Almost 25% of all reportable electrical accidents involve portable electrical equipment (known as portable appliances). While most of these accidents were caused by electric shock, over 2000 fires each year are started by faulty cables used by portable appliances, caused by a lack of effective maintenance. Portable electrical tools often present a high risk of injury, which is frequently caused by the conditions under which they are used. These conditions include the use of defective or unsuitable equipment and, indeed, the misuse of equipment. There must be a system to record the inspection, maintenance and repair of these tools. 

Electrical equipment is safe when properly selected, used and maintained. It is important, however, that the environmental conditions are always carefully considered. The hazards associated with portable appliances increase with the frequency of use and the harshness of the environment (construction sites are often particularly hazardous in this respect). These factors must be considered when inspection, testing and maintenance procedures are being developed. 

In the case of portable equipment, testing is often carried out using a proprietary portable appliance tester (PAT). One useful test is the measurement of e insulation resistance to confirm that it is sufficiently high to prevent undue current leakage. Additionally, for class I equipment (that must be earthed) it is important to verify that the connection to earth is sound, i.e. its electrical resistance is low, and that the conductor is capable of carrying the sort of high current that may occur under fault conditions. Both the HSE and the lEE have produced guidance on electrical equipment maintenance. ... 

Portable Sealed, maintenance-free, low cost, good float capability, moderate cycle life Portable tools, small appliances and devices, TV and portable electronic equipment... 

Portable Sealed, maintenance-free, good high-rate low-temperature performance, excellent cycle life Railroad equipment, consumer electronics, portable tools, pagers, appliances, and photographic equipment, standby power, memory backup... 

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