Electricity

Electricity is a familiar part of everyday life, but electricity can kill or severely injure people and cause damage to property. This page provides guidance on how to manage electricity at UCL.

UCL Estates

The University has a duty of care to all Students, Staff and Visitors across its entire Estate and as such, a duty to control the risk associated with the dangers of electrical fires or electric shock.

UCL Estates have produced an Electrical Services Policy to detail the UCL management arrangements to be followed to ensure compliance with its legal duty to control the risk associated with the dangers of electricity.

This policy shall be applicable to all UCL UK buildings, as listed on the UCL Building Register.

> UCL Estates Electrical Services Policy

Inspection and testing of electrical appliances

Conducting a visual inspection

Before using any electrical appliance, it is crucial to conduct a visual inspection to identify any potential hazards.

How to conduct a visual inspection

Step 1 – Check for damage to the appliance and the associated cable. Make sure that the cable is not exposed to mechanical damage and that the appliance has a valid PAT testing sticker.
Step 2a – If the visual inspection is satisfactory, operate the appliance.
Step 2b – If visual inspection is unsatisfactory, do not operate the appliance and immediately follow departmental procedures to quarantine the appliance and prevent further use. Once the Department has repaired or replaced the quarantined appliance repeat Step 1.
Step 3 – During operation, closely monitor the appliance for any signs of trouble, such as smoke, a burning odour, unusual noises, excessive or abnormal heat, or vibration.
Step 4a – If no issues are detected during the appliance's use, safely shut down the appliance. The process is completed.
Step 4b – If any issues are detected during the appliance's use, immediately switch off the appliance and follow Step 2b to quarantine the appliance and prevent further use. Once the Department has repaired or replaced the quarantined appliance repeat Step 1.

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)

To ensure the safety and reliability of electrical equipment within Departments, regular Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is essential. PAT testing can be conducted in two ways:

In-house: A suitably trained and competent departmental representative can perform PAT testing. Your departmental Lead Safety Advisor can provide information on suitable training.
Estates appointed contractor: The Estates appointed contractor is available to conduct PAT testing. For formal inspections or testing, departments must engage this approved contractor.

PAT testing using the Estates appointed contractor process

To ensure efficient management of PAT testing within a department, a designated Appointed Person – PAT Testing must be appointed and recorded in the Responsible Persons' Register in riskNET. This individual will act as the primary point of contact between the Department, the Estates Division and the appointed contractor. The Head of Department is responsible for appointing this person.

How to request the Estates appointed contractor

Process showing steps to use the Estates appointed contractor to conduct PAT Testing, refer to the steps below for details.

Step 1 – Departments must nominate an Appointed Person – PAT Testing to manage the testing process and communicate with the contractor as necessary.
Step 2 – Appointed Person will email estatespattesting@ucl.ac.uk to request the use of the Estates appointed contractor and provide a list of the appliances to be tested, appliances that must not be tested and appliances that cannot be switched off. If there is no asset list available, the contractor will proceed with the testing and create the asset list. See below for the full list of information to be provided.
Step 3 – The contractor will propose a testing schedule for departmental approval.
Step 4a – When the testing schedule is agreed, the department will advise if an escort is required. An escort must be provided for CL3 laboratories, BSUs and any other areas which may present danger to the contractor.
Step 4b – If the testing schedule is not agreed, the contractor will amend the testing schedule and follow Step 3.
Step 5 – Following agreement of the testing schedule and establishing the necessity for an escort, the contractor will proceed with the testing as per agreed schedule.
Step 6a – If the tested item passes the test, the contractor will apply a sticker and update the asset register and continue from Step 9.
Step 6b – If the tested item fails the test, the contractor will secure and remove the item from service and Appointed Person will be informed.
Step 7 – The Appointed Person will apply the departmental procedure to quarantine equipment to prevent further use of faulty equipment.
Step 8a – If the failed item can be repaired, the department will arrange for remedial work and, once completed, the department will inform the contractor who will re-test the item and follow from Step 5. Failed items must be re-tested by same contractor.
Step 8b – If the failed item cannot be repaired, the department will dispose of it via the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (WEEE). The item must remain on the asset register marked as disposed.
tep 9 – Upon completion of the tests as defined in the testing schedule, the contractor will issue the testing results to Appointed Person.
Step 10 – The Appointed Person will update asset register and store it within the department management system under statutory testing.

Information required to request the Estates appointed contractor

The following information should be provided in the request to estatespattesting@ucl.ac.uk.

Contact name: Provide the name of the person who will be the primary point of contact for the inspection and testing.
Contact details: Include the contact person's email address and phone number.
Parking availability: Indicate whether or not parking is available at the site where the inspection and testing will take place.
Personal Protective Equipment: Specify any PPE that is required for accessing the site or handling the equipment.
Areas or appliances not to be tested: Identify any areas or appliances that should not be included in the inspection and testing.
Escort: Specify any locations where an escort will be needed to accompany the contractor's personnel. An escort must be provided for CL3 laboratories, BSUs and any other areas which may present danger to the contractor.
Failures: Indicate where failed or defective appliances should be left after being identified.
Additional information: Provide any other relevant details that may be helpful for the contractor to know.

Labelling of electrical appliances

Portable electrical appliances that have successfully undergone inspection and/or testing must be clearly labeled to indicate their compliance.

Items that fail inspection or testing must be clearly labeled to denote that they must not be used until repaired and re-tested. Precautions must be taken to prevent the use of the electrical appliance in the interim, such as following the quarantine procedure.

Labelling of passed appliances

Suitable labeling must be provided on appliances that have been formally visually inspected or tested. The label should prominently display the following information:

Appliance ID.
Date of inspection.
Next inspection date due.
Name of tester.

Photo of an electrical plug with white sticker with information including a bar code, passed safety test, Arma Connect Ltd, date, engineer JW

These labels must be securely attached to the appliance in a visible location to ensure they remain intact throughout the appliance’s lifespan. When an appliance is re-tested, the old label must be removed and replaced with a new one reflecting the updated inspection details. When testing appliances that have a detachable power lead and both the appliance and the power lead are tested, both items must be labelled.

Labelling of failed appliances

Appliances that fail inspection or testing must be clearly labelled to indicate that they must not be used until repaired and re-tested. These labels should prominently display the following information:

Indication of danger e.g. faulty, dangerous, do not use.
Detail of the fault e.g. cable damaged.
Name of inspector/tester.
Date of inspection/test.

Electrical plug with red sticker which includes Electrical Safety Test, failed and do not use in capital letters

Failed appliances must be immediately removed from service and taken out of use. They should be securely stored in a designated quarantine area to prevent unauthorised use. The faulty appliances should either be repaired by a competent person and re-tested before being put back into service or permanently disabled and disposed of in accordance with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (WEEE).

Quarantine of electrical appliances

Departments must have a process in place to prevent the use of faulty or damaged equipment by others.

Example quarantine process

Process showing steps to quarantine an electrical device, refer to the steps below for details

Step 1 – The equipment has developed a fault or defect and is not safe to use. Fault or defect of the equipment will be identified during a visual inspection prior to use or during or PAT test conducted by a competent person.
Step 2 – Faulty or defective equipment must be switched off immediately and, if it is safe to do so, disconnected or unplugged from the socket.
Step 3 – Place warning sign(s) visibly on the equipment. Apply additional control measures to secure the cable such as locking/cutting/removing.
Step 4 – Arrange for repair and re-test or replace equipment. Repair must be conducted by a competent person.
Step 5 – Following successful repair, remove warning sign(s) and insert plug into socket.
Step 6 – File report from repair and update asset list.

> Download printable warning signs (pdf)

Frequency of PAT testing

The frequency of inspection and testing must be determined by risk assessment carried out by a competent person.

> Maintaining portable electrical equipment (HSE)

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) Procedures

A typical PAT involves a series of tests, including a visual inspection and electrical tests to assess the appliance's safety and integrity.

Tests conducted during Portable Appliance Testing

Visual inspection: The first step involves a visual examination of the appliance, checking for signs of damage, wear, or improper usage.
Earth continuity test:This test checks if the appliance is properly grounded to prevent electric shocks. It measures the electrical continuity between the earth pin and exposed metal parts of the appliance.
Insulation resistance test: This test assesses the insulation between conductive parts and the external casing of the appliance. It ensures that there are no leaks of electrical current that could cause short circuits or electric shocks.
Polarity test: This test verifies that the wiring of the plug and appliance is correctly aligned to prevent potential issues with voltage and current flow.
Functional testing: Some appliances undergo functional testing to ensure that they operate as intended.

Last updated: Tuesday, October 8, 2024

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