What is the best way to help meet electrical safety standards?

The HSE recommend a three-stage process for this.

User checks.

Advising the user of potential danger signs can result in problems being picked up before they can result in any danger. For example, if the power cable is frayed or the plug is cracked, users need to be advised NOT TO USE the appliance and report the fault to a supervisor. This information can be put across, say by the use of a poster or in a memo. FTAV could be contacted to do the repairs immediately.

Formal visual inspections.

This is a process of simply inspecting the appliance, the cable and the plug for any obvious signs of damage. According to the HSE, this process can find more than 90% of faults. This is the most important part of maintaining appliances.

Combined inspections and PAT testing.

At periodic intervals, it is essential to test the portable appliances to measure that the degree of protection to ensure that it is adequate. At these intervals, a formal visual inspection is carried out by FTAV and then followed by PAT testing.