Portable electrical equipment

Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and ACoP (L22) Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 

All portable electrical equipment must be identified individually, and is subject to planned maintenance and inspection. Equipment supplied to site must be fit for its intended purpose with regard to voltage and power, as well as environmental conditions. 

All equipment found to be defective must be switched off, taken out of the working area, marked appropriately and reported as out of order. Visual inspection of equipment is required before use. 

Leads and cables must be routed so as to minimise the likelihood of damage and trip hazards. Where festoon leads are permitted, damaged lamps must be replaced promptly, and only moulded socket holders used. 

Subcontractors should be made aware of site policy concerning use of electrical equipment. 

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Maintaining Portable Electrical Equipment in Offices and other Low-risk Environments. (1999), HSE, Sudbury, 12 pp. 

Reduced voltage systems (110 volts) are particularly suitable for portable electrical equipment in construction work and in high conducting locations such as boilers, tunnels and tanks where the risk to equipment and trailing cables is high and where the body may be damp. 

Ensure that a properly wired plug is used for all portable electrical equipment (see Fig. 1.11)... 

Against this background the HSE has produced guidance notes HS(G) 107 Maintaining Portable and Transportable Electrical Equipment and leaflets Maintaining Portable Electrical Equipment in Offices and Maintaining... 

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 ... 

For various types of portable electrical equipment the follotving precautions should be taken ... 

When using any portable electrical equipment, do not force the plug into a socket that it does not fit. 

It would be surprising to find a freshman chemistry text that fails to refer to Faraday s laws of electrolysis, or to terms such as ion" and electrode that he introduced. The electrochemist remembers him every time the symbol F appears in a numerical expression. Although he did not commercialize his discoveries of the principles of the electric motor, the dynamo, and the transformer, these discoveries led to enormous changes in our daily lives. With the appearance of practical forms of these devices the era of electricity for everyone began. Batteries were not banished today they are needed more than ever for standby supplies and for the vast amount of portable electrical equipment. 

Is all portable electrical equipment used inside confined spaces either grounded and insulated or equipped with ground fault protection ... 

Employers must ensure that electrical wiring of plant and equipment complies with standards for electrical wiring in buildings, structures and prenuses, and that the use of portable electrical equipment and heaters in hazardous areas is as described in appropriate standards. Electrical cords or leads should carry a current tag indicating that they have recently been tested for safety. 

Nickel/metal hydride (Ni/MH) battery is a secondary battery using hydrogen storage alloy for the negative electrode, Ni(OH)2 for the positive electrode, and alkaline solution for the electrolyte. Polypropylene nonwoven fabric is usually selected for the separator. The theoretical voltage is about 1.32 V, and the operating voltage is about 1.2 V which is almost the same as that of Ni/Cd battery [1]. The Ni/MH battery has been put to practical use for portable electric equipments in 1990 and for HEV (hybrid electric vehicle) in 1997 [2, 3]. 

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. 

Where plugs and sockets are used for portable tools, sufficient sockets must be provided for all the equipment and adaptors should not be used. Many accidents are caused by faulty flexible cables, extension leads, plugs and sockets, particularly when these items become damp or worn. Accidents often occur when contact is made with some part of the tool which has become live (probably at mains voltage), while the user is standing on, or in contact with, an earthed conducting surface. If the electrical supply is at more than 50 volts ac, then the electric shock that a person may receive from such defective equipment is potentially lethal. In adverse environmental conditions, such as humid or damp atmospheres, even lower voltages can be dangerous. Portable electrical equipment should not be used in flammable atmospheres if it can be avoided and it must also comply with any standard relevant to the particular environment. Air operated equipment should also be used as an alternative whenever it is practical. 

Maintaining portable electrical equipment in offices and other low-risk environments, INDG236,1996, HSE Books ISBN 0 7176 1272 4... 

Figure 14.9 From INDG236 Maintaining Portable Electrical Equipment in Offices (HSE Books 1996) ISBN...

INDG237 Maintaining portable electrical equipment in hotels and tourist accommodation (1996) INDG314 Hot work on small tanks and drums (2000)... 

It is important to ensure that all portable electrical equipment is regularly inspected and adequately maintained to minimise the risk of danger to the user. Equipment of the double-insulated or all-insulated types (class II), to the relevant BS , has no provision for earthing and is not earthed. Such equipment should be marked with the s5anbol [ ]. There is no symbol for class I equipment. 

In the case of testing portable electrical equipment reference should be made to HSE Guidance Note HSG 107. Portable electrical tools should be inspected each time they are returned to stores and tested annually, although xmder certain hostile operating conditions testing should be more frequent. 

Portable electrical equipment should be subject to regular inspections and tests, the time frames of which will be dependent upon the nature of use. Ideally portable electrical equipment should carry durable labels which display that it has been inspected and tested and is in a satisfactory condition. 

Over recent years the process of classifying hazardous areas in such a way has been extended from its initial purpose of selecting fixed electrical equipment for use in the area, to helping to identify and eliminate potential ignition sources, including portable electrical equipment, vehicles, hot surfaces, etc. from flammable atmospheres. 

Management s role is also to ensure that only trained and competent persons test, repair and maintain portable electrical equipment. 

Training is required in the precautions and safe use of portable electrical equipment. Site first-aiders should receive training in electric shock treatment (CPR). 

Some caution must be used when locating these shower stations. Obviously, it would not be wise to install a deluge shower next to an electrical power panel. Another point to keep in mind is that portable electrical equipment should not be moved near safety showers. 

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