Scrapping some H&S rules.

[nearlythere]

Consultation on scrapping health and safety rules.
One of the proposals.

"Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 - at present, businesses are unnecessarily having appliances like microwaves and kettles testing annually"

How many microwaves, kettles and the like are in the average workplace? 1 or 2 of each?

Where does this possible scrapping fit in with periodic testing for fire safety purposes rather than shock safety? Maybe fire safety testing  has been considered as unnecessary as well.

I kinda think that when politicians say they are doing you a favour they really aren't.

Another one - "Work at Height Regulations 2005 - remove confusion over what constitutes "height" to prevent the law being used to prohibit activities like standing on a low stools"

What constitues "Low" as in low stool? Jusy as ambiguous as "height".

Is a bar stool low or high? I suppose it depends on how drunk you are.

[Golden]

NT - where does it say they have to be tested annually? Another one of the common misconceptions about H + S with respect to the small portable appliances - as far as I can see its entirely up to the RP to decide how often the appliance needs testing and in the case of a microwave that is generally static and not often unplugged I would consider a lot longer period between tests, maybe five years even, but ensure it was given a visual inspection every year or two. Maybe if they understood the regulations they pass?

With respect to working at height its one of those issues where local H + S reps can rule the roost - once again there is some quite good common sense guidance on the HSE website - though it doesn't endorse using stools!

[nearlythere]

NT - where does it say they have to be tested annually?

Nowhere. I was just quoting the article.
Please don't tell me off

[AnthonyB]

It's not the law that is the issue, more the service industry that has twisted it to their own ends.

Of most portable appliances, very few actually require combined inspection & test annually (can be 2-5 years) and a lot of stuff never needs it, just visual inspections, it's all in the table in the HSE guidance.

Yet ask a PAT tester and every single thing that has a plug must be tested annually.

Also having seen a few in action, it's a case of plug it in the cheap pass/fail tester, press the button, slap on a sticker, move on to the next......whereas in my experience (as a 'competent person' to carry out PAT testing myself) I only ever failed one item on the machine, most stuff failed in the tactile, visual and plug disassembly stages and never reached the machine. I've seen stuff 'passed' with clear visual fail damage as this gets missed to save time.

[Golden]

Sorry NT it was meant to be a rhetorical question not directed at you as I realise you were only quoting!

One of my pet hates these days (I have rather a lot as I'm working towards a 'grumpy old man' qualification) is the 'Next test due' stickers rather than the date the item was actually tested!!

As for the plug in testers I agree - the plug I saw in a school last week without a back at all would easily have passed that test.

[Tom W]

Its also interesting when looking into dangerous "heights" when you consider a users height. Im 6ft2 so a stool to me maybe low but to my grandmother who is tiny that is a big height and a big drop.

Well actually when I said "interesting" I didn't mean it. 

[CivvyFSO]

Ah, but... Your head has further to fall prior to hitting the floor, therefore it may hit the floor harder. You would also build up more momentum than your grandmother. Remember falling over as a kid? It doesn't hurt that much to hit the floor when you are small. Then again, with grandma's brittle hips, maybe the outcome would be worse.

[Davo]

Hi people

HSE's own stats show in 2009 eight people died as a result of falls from 0.5m or less

As for testing, there is a leaflet which gives owners latitude on frequency, eg fixed computers and leads up to five years

davo

[CivvyFSO]

Indeed Davo

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg236.pdf
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg237.pdf
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg107.pdf

[jokar]

The electrical testing of portable and movable appliances is another good scam, at £1 per item the testers make a lot of money by continually testing when it may not be necessary.  Both the IEE and HSE websites offer information on testing but the best phrase is the more often something is moved the more often it should be tested.