As customers we are handing over our hard earned money and we should expect certain things. Of course we would like the goods or services we have asked for but also we would expect our purchases to be made under safe circumstances.

I check for PAT testing when at the hairdressers, restaurants, bars, bed and breakfasts, also I would never leave my children at a premises that does not take the law seriously regarding safety matters. I have been known to checkout the Fire safety policy at the nursery my children attended and I check that my children’s school has their extinguishers and fire alarm regularly maintained.

Of course working for Wirral Fire I am only too aware of the tragic consequences that failure to comply to Fire Safety Laws can lead to, but also I cant help but wonder what other short cuts businesses are willing to take when  they don’t take their obligation to the laws surrounding fire safety seriously. We need to ask ourselves are we happy to trade with companies that put profit before the safety of their employees or customers?

I came across this article on the HSE website which high lighted the consequence of avoiding PAT testing.

Employee sustained broken shoulders when testing a incorrectly wired appliance

An employee sustained a 240 volt electric shock that broke both shoulders whilst attempting to test a newly manufactured appliance that had been incorrectly wired to the mains lead. Suitable precautions had not been taken to prevent electrical injury to employees engaged in testing work on electrical appliances. Employees were exposed to live wires at 240 Volts ac, there was exposed metal in the test area, there was no PAT test of mains lead prior to live test and no risk assessment for electrical testing work.

Action

The employers were prosecuted under The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (No 14), The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 (No 3) paragraph 1 and received a fine.