Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) Policy

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places a statutory duty on organisations to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the safety, health, and welfare of its employees at work and other people who may be affected by their activities, e.g., membership, volunteers, members of the public.   

The Board of Trustees, as the governing body of the Union, has overall and final responsibility for Health and Safety matters within the Union, and for ensuring that Health and Safety legislation is complied with. 

The Trustee Board has devolved day-to-day responsibility for Health, Safety and Welfare to the Managing Director.  

The MD, and those acting on their behalf, will ensure: 

• Ensure that adequate arrangements are in place to achieve compliance with the policy. 

• MD delegates responsibility for undertaking aspects of these duties through line management & identified roles. 

The Managing Director will delegate to the membership of the leadership team the following responsibility:  

• Monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of Health and Safety activities and the Union's Health and Safety Policy and associated policies and procedures, and for ensuring that, at the strategic level, performance standards and timescales are adhered to.  

• Chairing the Students' Union’s Health and Safety Committee and ensuring it has the time, facilities and resources to carry out its business effectively.  

• Keeping under review this Health and Safety Policy and the Health and Safety performance of the Students' Union. 

The FHSM is appointed by the MD to undertake the following: 

• Ensuring the risk control measures to avoid electric shocks from the use of portable electrical appliances are implemented 

• Ensuring that the ICU Health & Safety Committee is informed of the effectiveness of any control systems.  

• Be responsible for ensuring that contractor's appointed to test portable electrical appliances are competent to undertake the duties imposed upon them. 

• Ensuring that the operational arrangements are monitored regularly.

Health and Safety is a delegated line management responsibility requiring managers to undertake operational Health and Safety duties identified in this policy. Imperial College Union Line Managers to undertake the following:    

• Lead by example by following policies and CoP challenging inappropriate behaviour and dealing with issues regarding slips and trips.  

• Will ensure that all electrical equipment belonging to and used by ICU Clubs, Societies and Projects (CSP) must be in an electrically safe condition, must have a valid test label attached.  

• If the equipment does not possess relevant safety documentation it will not be used until a valid PAT has been undertaken.

Individual members of staff, students and visitors have a legal duty to co-operate and comply at all times with the ICU Health and Safety Policy, instruction and training provided. Staff and students are responsible for: 

• It is the duty of all ICU employees who use any electrical equipment to ensure that it is free from any visible damage and supports a valid test label.  

• Where any visible damage is present then the equipment must be taken out of use until inspected by a competent person and any defects which may be dangerous rectified.  

• If the equipment does not have a valid test label, then the employee shall inform Facilities, Health, and Safety Manger (FHSM) 

• Employees wishing to bring their own equipment to site must first inform FHSM who will ensure that it is electrically in safe condition. Should the equipment be faulty then it shall be removed from the site.  

Equipment belonging to and used by persons visiting the ICU must be in an electrically safe condition. ICU reserves the right to prohibit the use of any electrical equipment brought onto the campus by a visitor which does not appear to meet this requirement.  

The Students' Union, whilst an independent charity in its own right, is an integral part of the Imperial College community and could not exist without the College. The Union and College work in partnership to ensure that adequate measures are in place to ensure health, safety and welfare within the Union. The Union is committed to working with the Imperial College London Safety department and where appropriate, ensuring that the Union's Health and Safety Policy, Codes of Practice and arrangements are in accordance with the College Health and Safety Policy, Codes of Practice and arrangements.  

The Union is in an unusual position in that whilst Union staff work directly for the Students' Union their contracts of employment are with the College. Whilst the Union accepts its duty of care and responsibilities, the College also has a duty to ensure, and support, the safe management and operation of the Students' Union.