Paper 360
By Jeson Pitt, D&F Liquidators
Good maintenance practices are not just limited to equipment in the facility. In fact, you need to follow good maintenance practices when it comes to the electrical aspect of the organization. You need to plan every step carefully, encourage proactive management and comprehensive reporting. Intelligent construction, proper design and commissioning are also key factors.
Why Focus on Electrical Safety
Apart from the obvious and undoubtedly an important reason, that you need to provide a safe working environment for your employees, there are few more reasons why you need place a lot of emphasis on electrical safety.
It is a regulatory and legislative duty to ensure the safety of all the electrical installations present in the premises. Moreover, it is a statutory obligation to make sure that life safety systems like fire detection, emergency lighting and alarm systems work properly when they are needed.
Don’t forget to assess the transportation systems such as escalators, lifts and moving walkways at regular intervals. Record and sign off on all the maintenance activities of the electrical systems. You need to use a log book that records periodic tests in order to demonstrate compliance with fire alarms, emergency lighting and similar systems with statutory requirements. This log book must be available for auditing purposes. Note down all the dates of tests being conducted on the electrical equipment, anomalies, and the necessary remedial actions.
Must-Have Electrical Maintenance Practices in Every Organization
These are some electrical maintenances that need to be a part of every organization.
- Make sure that the electrical equipment isn’t located in a hazardous environment. For example, do not place any electrical equipment in a damp or wet location or any place that is exposed to high temperatures and flammable substances.
- Ensure that the over-current and safety devices like circuit breakers, fuses or ground fault circuit interrupters are not damaged or haven’t been tampered with. Check regularly to ensure that they are performing as per the required standards.
- Never overload the circuits or outlets. Make sure you use only the equipment that is properly grounded or double insulated.
- The working staff should remove all the metal jewelry before working on electrical circuits and equipment.
- Inspect the power cord to confirm that there are no defects like exposed wiring or damaged insulation.
- Don’t run the electrical cables and cords through open spaces where the chances of tripping are high. Do not cover them with rugs or mats as it will block the visibility, thus increasing the risk of tripping.
- Identify whether the equipment has an emergency shutoff switch and if they do, locate them before you put the equipment to use.
- Only use equipment that has been approved by a national testing laboratory
In Conclusion
It is absolutely necessary to train your staff about electrical maintenance. If you bring in a new equipment, learn everything about its electrical safety before operating it. Being electrically safe will not only keep your staff safe but also protect your property and equipment.