Posted By Martin Taylor
Interesting discussion on the shop floor this morning.

Machine has been moved to new location - HSE manager requires all electrical tests as per 16th Edition before machine can be started. Contractor argues that 16th edition is best practice and not legal imperative.

HSE manager tries to porve point from Memorandum ... Elec at Work Regs b ut can't find a specific regulation regards inspection and testing.

Can somebody advise the minimum standard any new electrical installation must be tested to before being considered safe to be released?

much obliged

martin

Posted By afleckney@tiscali.co.uk
Martin

Are you sure that the Contractor is Competent/qualified. It seems odd to me that he would even argue the legal technicalities as how can he prove that the installation is safe without testing it e.g. earth loop impedance etc

Posted By Martin Taylor
for details - machine has been moved within the same factory area but has been totally recabled from busbar to machine and sub distribution boards

Martin

Posted By Glyn Atkinson
Common sense answer - hopefully without having to state the obvious Regs and BS 7671 -

Has the machine been moved? - yes!

Is there any opportunity for earth connections or any other connections to have been dislodged in transit? - quite possibly !

What is the easiest way to establish any electrical faults if present and repair prior to first use in new location? - complete a full wiring check to current testing standards as normal practice by a competent tester.

A properly filled in electrical check list can then be placed in the machine's maintenance log as proof of electrical safety in the new location.

I am presuming that there are no changes to power connections - ie plug in as opposed to fixed installation or vice versa?

Note - have you checked the electrical safety and testing credentials of this contractor? I would expect this type of test result to be given to me as part of any machinery move involving supply location change and chance of connections being loosened or sprung.

---

Scenario - Mr X uses said machine without test - gets electrocuted - hopefully not killed -

What is your answer to the 1st question put by the HSE - "When was the machine last tested for electrical safety, show me the check sheet?" (haven't got one, guv??)

And now the 2nd question - did you fully assess the risk involved by moving the machine and the chance of disturbing electrical connections?
(The contractor said it was ok !)

Next official meeting - add "your honour" to both answers !!

I rest my case, m'lud !

Posted By Dave Daniel
Firstly the IEE "Regs" are not law, only an industry-guideline. There are not and never have been any specific testing requirements in the Electricity at Work Regs. Your HSE manager should know this. When the Regulations were first published in 1989 the HSE guidance wrongly implied that the words "..shall be maintained..." meant that an inspection programme was required. This was contrary to the key legal test cases concerning this common phrase (See Galashiels Gas v O'Donnell 1949).

Secondly, the "IEE Regs" are a technical standard for the distribution wiring in the building, and do not extend to electrical equipment, machines etc, but only as far as the socket outlet or equivalent.

If moving the machine required alterations to the fixed wiring system then the Institution of Electrical Engineer's "IEE Wiring Regulations" would prescribe the wiring standard and recommend testing the finished job. If however moving the machine just meant plugging it back into the busbar at a different place, I can't see any justification for any testing....

Posted By rjhills
I had a similar problem with a contractor some time ago.
The company was taken from out list of approved contractors after non compliance with our procedures.