Imperial College Union is committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of its members, staff, customers, suppliers, visitors, and all others who may be affected by its activities and recognises its responsibilities under legislation of specific relevance to the inspection and testing of portable electrical equipment:
-
Health & Safety at Work Act 1974
-
Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999
-
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
-
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
And to prevent danger arising from electrical work equipment, a pre-planned preventative maintenance programme is essential, an essential element of which is portable appliance testing (PAT). This shall be achieved by ensuring that effective and auditable processes and procedures are in place for the recording of all inspection and testing of all such appliances.
1. Definition
Portable appliance testing (PAT) is the term used to describe the examination of electrical appliances and equipment to ensure they are safe to use. A portable or movable appliance is any electrical equipment that is capable of being moved whilst either connected or disconnected from an electrical supply. In general, it will have a lead (cable) and a plug but includes fixed equipment that is connected via fused connection.
This policy covers both new and existing single-phase equipment up to 230 volts that is intended to be connected to a fixed installation by means of a flexible cable and plug.
It is Union's Policy to:
-
Endeavour to protect all staff and other persons from the risks of receiving an electric shock by encountering defective or faulty portable electrical appliances within its premises.
-
This shall be achieved by ensuring that effective and auditable processes and procedures are in place for the recording of all inspection and testing of all such appliances.
-
Ensure that all defective equipment is immediately withdrawn from use.
-
Provide a system to ensure that all electrical work equipment used by ICU Clubs, Societies and Projects (CSP) is subject to portable appliance testing (PAT) which will be carried out as per current regulations
2. Responsibilities
-
ICU Board of Trustees
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.
-
Managing Director (MD)
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.
-
-
Senior Leadership Team
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.
-
-
Facilities, Health, and Safety Manger (FHSM)
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.
-
-
Imperial College Union Line Managers
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.
-
-
ICU Staff
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.
-
-
Visitors
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.
-
Imperial College London
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.
Imperial College London - Electrical Safety Code of Practice
Imperial College Union will adhere to Imperial College London - Electrical Safety Code of Practice.
The Code of Practice sets down the standards for safe management of electrical equipment, lighting and portable appliance equipment i.e., maintenance, servicing, testing, use etc. It is intended to assist in meeting the requirements of current legislation and sets out procedures on how to achieve safe systems of work.
3. Portable Electrical Equipment
User Check Guidance
Inspect the appliance prior to use to ensure:
-
The lead insulation is intact and without cracking or fraying;
-
There are no joins or areas of cable with tape;
-
It is not badly kinked;
-
The length of lead is appropriate for the positioning of the appliance;
-
Inspect the appliance casing for deterioration or damage;
-
If readily visible, check that the wiring terminations on the appliance are correctly made. DO NOT remove any covers;
-
The plug should be checked to ensure that it is in good condition and the cable is secure. Check for any broken parts in the plug casing or scorch marks, and that the outer sheath securely grips the cable;
-
Finally, you should ensure that the equipment is being used for the sole purpose that it was originally intended.
Frequency of Inspection
Equipment Type |
User check |
Formal visual inspection |
Combined formal visual inspection and testing |
Battery-operated (less than 40 volts) |
No |
No |
No |
Extra-low voltage (less than 50 volts AC) |
No |
No |
No |
Information technology – earthed |
No |
2-4 years |
4 years |
Information technology – doubled insulated |
Ha |
2-4 years |
4 years |
Office equipment – earthed not hand-held during use and rarely moved e.g., large printers, fax machines, shredders |
No |
2-4 years |
No if double insulated otherwise up to 5 years |
Office equipment – Not hand-held during use and rarely moved e.g., scanners, desk lamps, fans |
Yes |
2-4 years |
3 years |
Hand-held equipment – earthed e.g., drills and vacuum cleaners |
Yes |
6 months |
1 year |
Hand-held equipment – double insulated e.g., drills and soldering irons |
Yes |
6 months |
1 year |
Portable equipment – earthed e.g., melting point apparatus, toasters, coffee percolators, kettles, and microwave ovens |
Yes |
6 months |
1 year |
Portable equipment – double insulated e.g., student microscopes, trans-illuminators. |
Yes |
6 months |
1 year |
Moveable equipment – earthed only moved occasionally e.g., bench top centrifuges and autoclaves, bench mounted pillar drills, ovens, and sewing machines, |
Yes |
6 months |
1 year |
Moveable equipment – double insulated only moved occasionally e.g., analytical balances, large microscopes |
Yes |
1 year |
3 years |
Stationary equipment – earthed e.g., glassware washing machines, carbon dioxide incubators, cookers, |
Yes |
1 year |
2 years |
Stationary equipment – double insulated |
Yes |
2 years |
4 years |
Extension cables (lead) used at mains voltage and battery charging equipment |
Yes |
6 months |
1 year |
Cables, IEC leads and plugs connected to Class I equipment |
Yes |
6 months |
1 year |
Review date: March 2025