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PAT Testing helps to prevent injuries and death from electrical equipment. Have a look at our Dangerous Items page to see what our engineers have discovered recently.Dangerous Electrical Items >
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Dangerous Electrical Items
Electricity kills and injures people. Around 1000 electrical accidents at work are reported to HSE each year and about 30 people die from their injuries. Many injuries at work are a result of:
- Poorly maintained electrical equipment
- Inappropriate electrical equipment used in unsuitable environments
- Fires started by poorly maintained electrical equipment
- Damaged electrical equipment still in use
London PAT Testing's professional and comprehensive approach to electrical inspection and testing could help your company minimise the risk of injury and death. We have included below some examples of dangerous electrical items found on premises we have recently inspected and tested.
Self-Repair
Untrained employees or members of staff should not be allowed to carry out repairs to electrical equipment themselves. In the example above, someone has attempted to join two leads together without insulating the bare wires. A potentially lethal situation and one of the most dangerous things we've come across this month.
Incorrectly Wired Plug
The live and neutral wires have been switched in this incorrectly wired plug. Comprehensive checks are carried out by our engineers to ensure the plug is wired correctly and that the earth connection is intact. Incorrectly wired or missing earth connections are extremely dangerous. This item was re-wired free of charge as part of our service.
Damaged Cable
Damage from cuts or crushing through to the inner cables are a common occurrence especially when equipment is in regular use. Damage like this is found during the visual checks that our engineers carry out and if identified the leads will be replaced or removed from service.
Do-It-Yourself Disasters
An example here of an untrained member of staff creating a dangerous situation by trying to repair a blown fuse themselves. Our engineers check all plugs to make sure fuses are of the correct amperage and that dangerous self-repairs haven't been done.
Damaged Plug Top
Damaged plug tops are common. Misuse of equipment or appliances used in the wrong environment could lead to excessive damage to equipment and exposing the user to risk from electric shock hazards.
Burnt Out IEC Lead
Burnt equipment is usually the result overloading and overheating and is a common fault found whilst testing and inspecting.
Damaged AC Adaptor
Mobile phone chargers and other AC adaptors are very susceptible to damage because they often sit underneath desks where they get kicked around. The example above shows how dangerous these can be when damaged.
Poorly Connected Equipment
The wiring of equipment that is in regular use or poorly connected can easily become loose or disconnected. A common and extremely dangerous situation if not fixed.