Government has passed various legislations relating to Electrical maintenance in the UK.

The most relevant ones are:

• Health & Safety at Work Act 1974
• Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998

This page has been designed to give you a brief overview of the legal requirements involved in Pat Testing.

Health & Safety at Work Act 1974

Duty of care upon the employer and the employee is put upon in the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974.

This is to ensure the safety of all persons using the work premises.

This includes the self-employed.

Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999

The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 states:

"Every employer shall make suitable and sufficient assessment of:

(a) the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed whilst at work, and

(b) the risks to ensure the health and safety of persons not in his employment arising out of or in connection with the conduct by him or his undertaking."

Electricity at Work Regulations 1989

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 states:

"All systems shall at all times be of such construction as to prevent, so far as reasonably practicable, such danger."

"As may be necessary to prevent danger, all systems shall be maintained so as to prevent, so far as reasonably practicable, such danger."

"'System' means an electrical system in which all the electrical equipment is, or may be, electrically connected to a common source of electrical energy and includes such source and such equipment"

"'Electrical Equipment' includes anything used, intended to be used or installed for use, to generate, provide, transmit, transform, rectify, convert, conduct, distribute, control, store, measure or use electrical energy."

Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 states:

"Every employer shall ensure that work equipment is maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair."

Scope of the legislation

The combination of the above regulations and acts apply to all electrical equipment used in and associated with places of work.

This scope extends from electrical equipment to distribution systems.