Compared to normal homes, the “electrical risk” in an office is much greater, due to the presence of a higher number of electrical equipment (computers, telephones, printers, photocopiers, fax machines, etc.), with all the relative cables, often connected to electrical sockets in an incorrect way, not to mention inadequate and therefore at risk of safety for the user.
The risks of “getting a shock” – technically “electrocution” – are in fact not negligible, not to mention that the overheating of sockets and / or electrical cables could represent the source of ignition of a fire., a total of about 250 fatal electrocutions occurred (both in domestic and work environments), while 10-15 percent of fires are attributable to an electrical origin.
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The critical factors of pat testing
Generally speaking, to reduce the “electrical risk” to the minimum possible – in the office as in any other living and working environment – several precautions must be taken:
- The electrical systems must be made in a “workmanlike” manner, in compliance with current legislation, accompanied by a specific “certificate of conformity”;
- electrical systems must be subjected to regular inspection and maintenance activities, in addition to legal verification (for workplaces) every five years;
- All electrical equipment used must be equipped with “CE conformity certification”;
- All electrical equipment must be used correctly, in compliance with the instructions in the use and maintenance manual;
- The utmost care must be taken in preparing all electrical connections: cables, extensions, multiple plugs, the so-called “slippers”, adapters of various kinds, etc.
Especially in the case of new or in any case recently published buildings pat testing berkshire, undoubtedly the greatest criticalities are found in the preparation of the electrical connections between the wall sockets and the various equipment, very often made in a chaotic way, to say the least. Let’s now see the various aspects in detail.
Installations in a workmanlike manner and regularly checked
The electrical system of the office, or in any case of the building, must be made “in a workmanlike manner” by qualified pat testing Berkshire companies, which must issue a specific “certificate of conformity” to current legislation. The plant must also be subjected to a general audit established by the law, every five years.
However, regardless of the formal legal obligation, it is absolutely necessary that the electrical system is subjected to much more frequent checks, in order to identify any anomaly as soon as possible, thus providing for the related repairs/replacements.