Talk:Electrical safety policy
Hi,
I'm Brian,below are my thoughts on electrical safety for Makespace, I have just covered the workshops at the moment. I trained as an electrician and are currently working as a security systems engineer, on Thursday night. I sorted the old 3 phase cables out and removed the old bench sockets cables, got all the sockets working in both workshops.
Electrical Safety
Sockets
The workshop sockets power can be switched off by the Emergency stop buttons around both workshops, the red sockets are not affected, if an emergency stop button is used.
Common practice in high risk areas (in our case the workshops, workrooms) is to use a 30 mA RCD (Residual-current device) to protect users and equipment. This can be done in a number of ways, each has their pros and cons.
1. Single RCD protecting the whole distribution board. Pros - cheap only a single device need for each broad. Cons - There no discrimination between circuits. A fault on a single circuit will trip the RCD, cutting the supply to the whole board.
2. RCBOs(residual-current circuit breaker with overload protection) protecting individual circuits. Pros – discrimination between each circuit, a fault on a single circuit will only affect that circuit. Cons – expensive each circuit needs its own RCBO, all sockets on the circuit is affected when there is a fault.
3. RCD socket/spur protecting single sockets/single bench. Pros - discrimination between each socket/bench, a fault on a single socket/bench will only affect that socket/bench. Cons – expensive
I would use methods 2 or 3 in most cases.
Workshop Machines
Emergency stop buttons to kill power to the workshop machines, some machines may require a power supply for emergency breaking. Each machine will need to be assessed for its power and safety requirements.
I would select methods 2 or 3 in most cases.
Members Projects
Member’s projects should be assessed, case by case.
PAT (Portable appliance testing) for equipment and power tools
I would suggest that a simple Past or Fail PAT tester is brought and should be very simple to use, that very little training is required in its use. Link to the Health and Safety Executive Q & A on PAT testing
http://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/faq-portable-appliance-testing.htm
more information, there a table about half way down the page with suggested tests and when they should be done
http://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/electricequip.htm#suitable
A relevant point which I was not aware of - Anyone can do PAT testing - you don't need any qualification. Therefore a purchase of a cheap PAT tester like this (£27): http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/120846280330?var=lv<yp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&cbt=y plus a policy and some PAT-tested stickers, would seem to make our PAT testing worries dissapear! Danros 15:54, 22 October 2012 (BST)
I checked out the Kewtech PATADAPTOR PORTABLE APPLIANCE ADAPTOR BOX, here a link to its product page http://www.kewtechcorp.com/products/pat-testing-accessories/patadaptor and you need an Insulation & Continuity Tester to use with it, which start at about £200.00 plus VAT for the lower end models. This page from www.pattesters.co.uk give an idea of the cost for basic PAT testers http://www.pattesters.co.uk/pat-testers/basic-pat-testers --Brian Corteil 01:06, 23 October 2012 (BST)
