Posted By Malcolm Earl Multi- Plugs. Can anyone provide some information on Multi Plug adapters. A department in the company I work for has 4 plug multi-adapters plugged in to other adapters. Can any one give me a regulation or guidance that I can quote to stop this practice.

Posted By stephen j mills Malcolm, You need Regulation 5 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 - 'No electrical equipment shall be put into use where its strength and capability may be exceeded in such a way as may give rise to danger'. Clearly there is every possibility that the capability of this equipment may be exceeded. There should be a socket provided for each separate piece of electrical equipment in use in the workplace.

Posted By George Wedgwood Malcolm, all devices should be protected by an 'efficient means' of preventing excess of current. (Reg11) and good advice is that all devices should also have provision to be isolated at the source or origin. That simply means that, where possible, each device should be adequately fused or protected by a miniature circuit breaker against a device failure causing overcurrent. Additionally, if that device could cause danger by virtue of its proximity to other conducting parts, a residual current circuit breaker should be used to protect against faults such as the earthing metalwork becoming live on contact with the neutral or live conductor. Good simple advice can be sourced in the HSE "Essentials of Health and Safety at Work" booklet (ISBN 0-7176-0716-X) and I quote; " * provide enough socket outlets, if necessary, by using a multi-plug socket block - overloading sockets by using adapters can cause a fire. * fuses, circuit breakers and other devices must be correctly rated for the circuit they protect. * there must be a switch or isolator near each fixed machine to cut off power in an emergency. * the mains switches must be readily accessible and clearly identified." This is general advice and remember - if it looks bad, then is most probably is! Encourage your managers to install distribution trunking for office and workshop mains supplies, fitted with a good supply of socket outlets and independent protection, to cater for all perceived devices that need to be connected. Also have a check on the manufacturer's recommended fusing levels and compare that with what has been fitted - you may get a surprise! Correct any fuses that are wrong and write a short guidance note for managers to follow, in respect of electrical safety - also pin it on the wall. Ensure you have a competent person who can do these things and provide suitable advice when managers need new equipment installing or supplies increased. This person can be any good craftsperson who has undergone some basic electrical safety awareness training (preferably on a recognised course) and ensure he/she is the only one allowed to make original connections and give advice on the supply capability of the office electrical system. I hope this helps but do read some of the HSE Electrical guidance documents when you get time. George

Posted By Simon Wilkins Whilst not condoning the practice, it will not lead to any overloading or overheating unless someone has changed fuse values. The three pin plug on an extension lead is fused to protect that lead (usually 13A for the heavier cables, 3 or 5A for lighter cables). Therefore, however many other adaptor leads are plugged into the first, the total current drawn cannot be higher than the rating of that first lead, or its fuse will blow. Similarly, the 13A fuse in the first plug will protect the wall socket, which in any case is fed by a 30A cable. I don't know whether the leads in the example quoted were put together to get length, or more likely to get enough outlets for computers etc. If the latter case, then Belkin and other firms produce 6 and 8 way adapters, properly fused and with optional surge protection. They can also be fixed to a skirting board or desk to reduce the liklehood of trips. Any of the usual electrical or IT distributors have them. You may well find it quicker and easier to organise this type of solution than to get more wall outlets provided.

Posted By Paul Leadbetter A fuses is designed to blow quickly when a fault results in an instantaneous current well in excess of its rated capacity. However, when daisychaining extension sockets, the capacity of the fuse plugged into the wall socket can be exceeded (by a large margin) if the current is increased stepwise as more appliances are plugged in. Most people will assume that a fuse will blow if its rating is exceeded but I have found plugs too hot to touch as a result of this practice. Of course, if the whole daisychain is turned off at the wall, and then turned on again, the large current now flowing may be enough to blow the fuse as it is applied across the fuse instantaneously. Regards Paul Leadbetter

Posted By Ken Taylor Additionally this practice can lead to loose connections - which can become hot, arc and spark, cause unsafe intermittent machine operation, etc.

Posted By Diane Warne Just a thought - is there a friendly electrician within the company who can support your case? Sometimes people will listen to someone like that much more readily than they will listen to a safety adviser! If this continues to be a problem, how about getting the excessive/inappropriate use of adaptors/extension cables prohibited by company policy? Then you won't have to resort to quoting regulations.

Posted By Laurie ..... or kill someone! Laurie