There’s more to appliance safety than you think
Any appliance can be a health risk and there is more than one reason why. Appliance safety is more important than most people realise.
It’s imperative that every appliance has the proper appliance testing and tagging otherwise you could be putting everyone on your premises at unnecessary risk.
There are a number of things that can go wrong with electrical appliances and equipment but there are many things you can do to protect yourself and others.
The keys to the safety of your appliances are in your hands and you need to know what measures to take to make your workplace work safe.
Key factors in appliance safety
Checking the safety of your appliances in your workplace is rarely at the top of the To Do list. That’s the danger in being complacent instead of being compliant.
There are strict regulations on making sure your workplace is safe and that includes appliance safety throughout your premises.
Some of the most common mistakes with regard to appliances include ignoring or forgetting to have your appliances properly tested and tagged. This is a vital step in workplace safety and yet people continue to ignore the need to have a test and tag performed on their appliances. The reasons include;
- The appliance is brand new, so it doesn’t need to be checked – Wrong!
- It just came back from the repairers, so it is in proper working order – Wrong again!
- It’s only a small appliance so it doesn’t matter – Very wrong!
- Never had a problem with appliances, so no need to worry – a very dangerous idea
Thinking something is safe is often the hurdle to proper maintenance and safety checks. Get a professional test and tag team out to help you stay up to date with your appliance safety.
Relying on new appliances is one of the oldest mistakes
All electrical appliances should be tested and tagged, especially if it they are brand new.
It is often easy to be blasé or dismissive of the idea that your brand new appliance could be unsafe at all. The trouble is, any new appliance can be dangerous.
There are several reasons which include;
- Not being properly tested or tested to the wrong standard
- Having a fault caused during shipment or final delivery
- Poor manufacture of parts within the appliance
- The supplier has not met the necessary safety checks
If you have purchased an appliance brand new, you want to make sure it is safe to use.
It’s particularly important to check the safety of any portable electrical appliances. The safety check comes in two parts.
Checking the safety of your appliances
The first step in a safety check is a visual inspection of the appliance to identify any damage or safety concerns. This should be followed up by a full electrical testing using a Portable Appliance Tester.
Once the item is properly tested, a tag should be fitted to it to confirm the test has been carried out, who performed the test, on which date and when the next test is due.
Testing and tagging appliances is important. Not only does it work to ensure that people in the workplace are safe, it also minimises the dangers of an electrical hazard.
It may be surprising but second in the list of the most common underlying causes of fatal fires throughout New Zealand were electrical faults. That relates to a fault in an electrical tool, appliance or device.
That adds weight to why you need to have the safety of your appliances taken care of by a trusted team of professionals.
The dangers of having a non-compliant workplace
There are strict rules and heavy fines for not meeting the Workplace health and electrical safety standard (the AS/NZS 3760:2010 – Electrical Safety Standard)
To meet this standard, businesses and organisations need to inspect, maintain and regularly test and tag key appliances (e.g. 2- or 3-pin plug electrical appliances and equipment).
It doesn’t end there.
