The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989

Purpose – Why was it Introduced? This legislation has been put into place to ensure that all employees are responsible for their safety and to make sure that all employers maintain a safe working environment by keeping with the regulations of the legislation.

Overview of Regulations There are 29 Electricity of Work Regulations 1989. 1 – 16 cover a more general overview of all working conditions and 17-28 only apply to mines.

General Safety of Electrical Systems Regulation 4 Systems must at all times be made and maintained to prevent danger and/or injury Maintenance or working near a system must be done in a way that does not create danger Any equipment provided for personal protection must be suitable and maintainable

Use of Suitable Equipment Regulations 5 - 11 Reg. 5 – No electrical equipment should be connected in such away that the capabilities of the system could cause damage Reg. 6 – Electrical equipment must not be constructed in a way that it causes - Mechanical Damage - Natural Hazards - Corrosive Conditions - Flammable substances Reg. 7 – Any conductor in a system should either be insulated or protected to prevent danger

Use of Suitable Equipment Reg. 8 - 11 – Requires a suitable method of ‘earthing’ and must not have anything that could prevent the electrical continuity - All joints and plugs must be safe to use - System must be safe from excess current

Employers Responsibilities As an employer, it is their duty to keep with the provisions stated by this legislature as long as the matter is within their control Competence - An employer must abide by regulation 16, and make sure that any person involved in the maintenance and testing of electrical equipment must have the required knowledge and skill to do so

Employees Responsibilities It is an employees duty to co-operate as far as possible with his employer to ensure the provisions are carried out as necessary It is also an employees duty comply with the provisions if matters are in their control and under their influence

Monitoring of the Legislation P.A.T – Portable Appliance Testing in the Workplace The Regulation states that - "All systems shall at all times be of such construction as to prevent, so far as reasonably practicable, such danger." P.A.T is the term used to describe the examination of electrical appliances and equipment, it is there to make sure these are safe to use in the workplace. The test uses both visual tests and actual The Regulations do not specify what needs to be done, by whom or how frequently, however the legislation requires that any electrical equipment that could cause injury must be maintained in a safe manner

Improvements That Could Be Made There is currently no specifics on how frequent the P.A.T test should be, so measures should be brought in, for example, having a test done at least every year to ensure equipment is up to standard and will not cause danger and/or injury

Conclusion This legislature works well within work forces to ensure safety in the work place. However to ensure maximum safety for work force, it should be revised at least every couple of years to keep up with the advances in technologies