Electrical Testing & Inspection

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Electrical Safety Policy

There are 2 main areas to consider when dealing with Electrical Inspection:

Cost Centre Electrical Testing Liaison Staff:

Visual Inspection

Visual inspection is carried out by the electrical appliance operator and requires checking:

• equipment at regular intervals if used daily; and/or
• before operation if the equipment is used infrequently or moved around.

The items to check in the visual inspection are:

• equipment free from obvious external damage;
• component defects - accessories, connectors, plugs, or socket outlets;
• supply cords - inner cords not exposed, external sheaths not cut, abraded or damaged;
• flexible cords effectively anchored
• security/alignment of any control knobs
• covers/guards are secure;
• mechanical safety facilities/devices (e.g. cut outs) are in working order;
• ventilation inlets or exhausts are unobstructed
• controls or alarms are in working order;
• cords are not tangled and do not contribute a tripping hazard;
• powerboards - warning indicating "maximum load to be connected" is visible and legible;
• is the environment detrimental to the safe use of electrical equipment.

Note: some of the above may not apply to all electrical equipment.

Some items or hazards that require taking out of service and replacing:

	Double Adaptors are banned from use in the University
	Abraded cord with fabric outer sheath
	Powerboard with inner cords exposed
	Cable grip is failing to anchor the cord on the plug socket - this could pull the wires from the connectors to provide a hazard
	Lead is not correctly anchored into the cable grip of the plug - again this will put strain on the inner cords
	Abraded cord on extension lead
	Calculator cord trapped between two desks rubbed away at the insulation causing the inner cords to become exposed
	Slit/Nick in extension lead - provides a hazard.
	Charred double adaptor - overloading electrical items can cause a fire

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Electrical Testing

Electrical Testing (In-service testing or PAT - Portable Appliance Testing) is necessary for the safety of persons using the equipment and for the proper discharge of the obligations of employers and employees, as listed in legislation covering OH&S matters.

Testing is carried out by staff members who have undergone training in the use of testing equipment and determination of results. They are certified as competent persons for electrical testing. Anyone requiring certification should contact their Cost Centre Liaison Person (see above).

The testing is carried out at regular intervals:

Type Of Environment In Which Equipment Is Used	Interval Between Inspection And Tests
	Class Of Equipment		Additional Testing For Portable RCDs		Cord Extension Sets And EPODs
	Class I	Class II	Push Button Test (by user)	Test For Operation
Construction and demolition sites	3 Months	3 Months	Immediately after connection to a socket outlet, and every day in use	3 Months	3 Months
Workshops and places of work of manufacturing, repair, assembly, maintenance or fabrication	6 Months	12 Months	Daily or before every use, whichever is longer	12 Months	6 Months
Other commercial environments with no special protection, e.g. laboratories, tea rooms, office kitchens, and health care establishments	12 Months	12 Months	3 months, or before every use, whichever is longer	2 Years	12 Months
Office environment where equipment is not subject to constant flexing of the supply cord	5 Years	5 Years	3 Months	2 Years	5 Years
Hire Equipment	Before each hire	Before each hire	Before each hire	Before each hire	Before each hire
New equipment and repaired/serviced equipment	Prior to introduction to service and /or after servicing	Prior to introduction to service and /or after servicing	Prior to introduction to service and /or after servicing	Prior to introduction to service and /or after servicing	Prior to introduction to service and /or after servicing

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You can also see the University's Electrical Safety Policy and the OH&S Regulations.

Last reviewed: 7 December 2004