Nearly three quarters of businesses admit their employees face potential risk of electrical faults in the workplace
A new report from Zurich Risk Services shows that almost three-quarters (73 per cent) of employees are potentially at risk from exposure to electricity in the workplace.
The survey conducted amongst those responsible for electrical safety in the workplace1, also revealed that 18 per cent of companies admitted they weren't very familiar with the Electricity at Work (EAW) Regulations, if at all, despite the fact they have been in force since in 1989. Despite saying this, 95 per cent believe their company is adequately protected against breach of the Act.
These figures translate into shocking reality with one in six businesses (18% per cent) saying that their employees had suffered an electrical shock at their premises and one in six (17 per cent) saying that an electrical fault has caused damage to the property. In addition, 2 per cent (2%) say that a customer or member of the general public has experienced an electrical shock on business premises. Of this number, employees seem to suffer the brunt of these incidents and damage to the workplace is the second largest consequence.
To comply with the Electricity at Work Regulations (EAW), employers are required to maintain their electrical systems in a safe condition. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), periodic inspections and testing should form part of this maintenance. Approximately 1000 electrical accidents at work are reported to HSE each year and about 30 people die as a result of those injuries. The HSE reports that many deaths and injuries arise from use of poorly maintained electrical equipment; work near overhead power lines; contact with underground power cables during excavation work; work on or near 230 volt domestic electricity supplies; use of unsuitable electrical equipment in explosive areas such as car paint spraying booths and fires started by poor electrical installations and faulty electrical appliances.
Failure to operate a maintenance programme can be costly with six (6 per cent) of businesses saying they have had a claim made against them and this increases to 17 per cent of construction companies.
Phil Moore, Head of Engineering, Zurich Risk Services said "These findings highlight there is still a lack of awareness of the Electricity at Work Regulations some 17 years after they were originally implemented. Businesses need to ensure they are one hundred per cent up-to-speed with the details of the Regulations or they are potentially putting their employees safety at risk and bringing additional cost to their bottom line."
If a business is found to be in breach of the Electricity at Work Regulations during a routine HSE visit, then an improvement or prohibition notice would normally be issued. The HSE can prosecute people for breaching the EAW Regulations but this would normally happen if there was an incident, particularly if someone has been seriously injured or killed.
To comply with the Electricity at Work Regulations, employers are required to design, install and maintain their electrical systems in a safe condition. The Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE) (IEE Wiring Regulations BS7671) provide detailed guidance on the design, installation and inspection and testing of the majority of electrical installations found in the workplace. This guide describes how the inspection and testing should be carried out and also gives maximum recommended inspection frequencies, eg. 3 yearly for industrial premises and 5 yearly for commercial premises.
The Electricity at Work Regulations (EAW) also applies to portable electrical appliances and the HSE2 gives detailed guidance on the actions required to maintain portable appliances in a safe condition. This can include user checks, formal visual inspections and combined inspection and testing. The first two of these are simple tasks that can be performed by non-technical employees. The frequency of the combined inspection and test will be determined by the owner's risk assessment and can vary from monthly for 230 volt equipment on a construction site, to five yearly for office equipment that is not normally moved.
