Even with all the health and safety policies under the sun, it can still be easy to overlook some of the most important ones – including those that relate to electrical safety for your business.
With further regulatory changes coming into force in January 2019 that will aim to reduce the risk of fire due to faulty electrics, it’s never been more important to make sure you take the time to understand and meet your responsibilities when it comes to electrical safety testing. Equally, when a client, employee or volunteer injures themselves as a result of gaps in internal safety policies, it is the employer that will ultimately be held accountable.
Therefore, there are a number of things you should consider when arranging your annual checks.
1. Keep up-to-date with current legislation
When setting up your internal electrical safety policies, ensure you’re adhering to all current legislation, as not doing so could result in injury or a financial penalty.
Namely, you’ll need to adhere to any and all regulations set out by the Health and Safety Executive, such as the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994. Remember, it’s your responsibility to make sure your business’s health and safety policies are up to date, so keep an eye out for any announced amendments to regulation.
2. Should you hire a professional?
If you’re not confident that you’re able to carry out ample safety checks for your business, then companies, such as Calbarrie Compliance Services, can be hired to carry out this testing for you – after all, it’s usually going to be much safer to hire a trained PAT engineer than to attempt it yourself. By delegating responsibility to a specialist, it’ll give you more time to focus on your area of expertise.
3. Timing is everything
You may want to consider the timing of your electrical safety testing to ensure there’s as little disruption to your business as possible. Completing your annual safety tests outside of normal operating hours will ensure that day to day activities can continue as normal, and minimises the risk of injury to your employees.
4. Make sure you’re covered
By having suitable public and employers’ liability insurance in place, this will help to protect your business should a client, employee or volunteer be injured as a result of normal business operations. After all, a liability claim arising from incomplete safety procedures could end up having a huge impact on your business, both financially and in terms of reputational damage. Although it’s not a legal requirement, public liability insurance can cover legal fees and compensation costs incurred should you be sued for injury or damage to property - so it's important to make sure you're protected.
Find out more about Endsleigh’s specialist commercial insurance here.