PORTABLE

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PORTABLE TRANSPORTABLE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
Mark Gough
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PORTABLE TRANSPORTABLE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

What do we mean by portable and transportable
electrical equipment?
PORTABLE An appliance less than 18kg that is
intended to be easily moved while in operation
(eg toaster, food mixer, vacuum cleaner,
fanheater) TRANSPORTABLE An appliance that is
18kg (or less) and not fixed (eg electric fire)
or an appliance with wheels so that it can be
moved by the user (eg air conditioning unit)
CONNECTED TO THE FIXED MAINS SUPPLY OR TO A
LOCALLY GENERATED SUPPLY
NEARLY A QUARTER OF ALL REPORTABLE ELECTRICAL
ACCIDENTS INVOLVE PORTABLE AND TRANSPORTABLE
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT MAJORITY OF THESE
ACCIDENTS RESULT IN ELECTRIC SHOCK
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PORTABLE TRANSPORTABLE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

Safety of portable and transportable electrical
equipment

• Duty on manufacturers and suppliers covering the
  safety of new equipment ref. Electrical
  Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1992
• Achieved by means of equipment construction, most
  commonly
• Class I (earthed)
• Relies for safety reasons on the metallic parts
  of the equipment being effectively earthed
• Possibility of the exterior of the equipment
  becoming live if this earth connection is lost.

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CLASS I ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT EXAMPLE

Operator electrocuted whilst attempting to
operate a Class I compressor unit rated at 400Vac
3-phase
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Inspection found that earth had inadvertently
been connected to phase
Consequently the metal chasis of the compressor
was energised at 240Vac to earth
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PORTABLE TRANSPORTABLE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

Safety of portable and transportable electrical
equipment

• Duty on manufacturers and suppliers covering the
  safety of new equipment ref. Electrical
  Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1992
• Duty on the user to maintain
• Duty on user to use as intended

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PORTABLE TRANSPORTABLE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

Safety of portable and transportable electrical
equipment

• Duty to use and maintain equipment so as to
  prevent danger ref. Electricity at Work
  Regulations 1989
• Achieved by using equipment within manufacturers
  rating and ensuring that equipment is effectively
  maintained
• Safe use requires consideration of issues such
  as
• Strength and capability (EaWR Reg 5) and
• Adverse or hazardous environments (EaWR Reg 6).

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PORTABLE TRANSPORTABLE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

Safety of portable and transportable electrical
equipment

• Effective maintenance so as to prevent danger
  necessary to satisfy EaWR Reg 4.2
• Frequency of maintenance should reflect the risk
  ie it may be appropriate to maintain equipment
  used in a high risk activity (e.g. a pressure
  water cleaner powered from the mains supply) more
  frequently than equipment used in a low risk
  activity (e.g. office equipment)
• Maintenance can include visual inspection,
  testing, repair and replacement

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PORTABLE TRANSPORTABLE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

Cost-effective maintenance of portable electrical
equipment can be achieved by a combination of

• Checks by the user can detect up to 90 of all
  faults
• Formal visual inspections by a person trained and
  appointed to carry them out
• Combined inspection and tests by an electrically
  competent person or by a contractor.

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CHECKS BY THE USER

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FORMAL VISUAL INSPECTIONS
13A plug with Homemade fuse and loose earth
connection

Another, loose earth connection
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COMBINED INSPECTION TESTS
Periodic combined inspection testing is the
only reliable way of detecting faults (e.g. loss
of earth) and should be carried out to back up
the checks and inspection regime

• Inspection carried out in conjunction with
  testing should include checks to establish
• the correct polarity of the supply cables
• correct fusing
• effective termination of conductors and cores
• earth continuity
• integrity of insulation..

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SUGGESTED MAINTENANCE INTERVALS
Extract from HSG107 Maintaining portable and
transportable electrical equipment

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THANK YOU
Any questions??