Maintaining electrical equipment safety

The law requires electrical equipment to be maintained to prevent danger. The type and frequency of user checks, inspections and testing needed will depend on the equipment, the environment in which it is used and the results of previous checks.

Frequently asked questions

From experience

A worker received a 240 Volt electric shock whilst using a pressure washer.[74]

Electrical injuries

Types of electrical injuries[75]

Simple precautions

Electrical Safety Council guide on safe isolation procedures for low voltage installations (PDF) [76]

HSE guidance

Industry guidance

IEE/IET Health & Safety Briefing – Portable Appliance testing

Link URLs in this page

  1. Electrical safetyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/index.htm
  2. Overview - HSE electrical safetyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/hse.htm
  3. How we work https://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/how.htm
  4. Who we are https://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/who.htm
  5. Contactshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/contacts.htm
  6. Electrical injurieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/injuries.htm
  7. Overview - Simple precautionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/precautions.htm
  8. Work near electricityhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/nearelectric.htm
  9. Excavation and underground serviceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/information/excavations.htm
  10. Overhead power lineshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/information/overhead.htm
  11. Work using electrically powered equipmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/electricequip.htm
  12. Work on electrical equipment, machinery or installationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/withequip.htm
  13. Maintaining electrical equipmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/safety.htm
  14. Electricity in potentially explosive atmosphereshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/explosive.htm
  15. Standards and codes of practicehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/standards.htm
  16. Electrical safety FAQshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/faq.htm
  17. Overview - Electricity in potentially explosive atmospheres FAQshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/atex/index.htm
  18. General, guidance and enforcement issueshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/atex/general.htm
  19. Definitionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/atex/definitions.htm
  20. Interpretationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/atex/interpretation.htm
  21. Technical standardshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/atex/standards.htm
  22. Existing equipment issueshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/atex/existing.htm
  23. Imported productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/atex/imported.htm
  24. General issues and informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/atex/issues.htm
  25. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) issueshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/atex/lpg.htm
  26. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/information/index.htm
  27. General health and safetyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/information/general.htm
  28. Inspection & testinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/information/testing.htm
  29. Maintenancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/information/maintenance.htm
  30. Constructionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/information/construction.htm
  31. Farming/forestryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/information/agriculture.htm
  32. Public placeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/information/public.htm
  33. Potentially explosive atmosphereshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/information/explosive.htm
  34. The lawhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/information/law.htm
  35. Other workplaceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/information/other.htm
  36. Linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/links.htm
  37. Overview - Accident case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/experience.htm
  38. Overview - Overhead power lineshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/overhead/index.htm
  39. Lorry driver suffers burnshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/overhead/lorry.htm
  40. Failing to warn driver of overhead lineshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/overhead/farmer.htm
  41. Failure to isolate power supplyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/overhead/isolate.htm
  42. Erecting a lighting towerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/overhead/under.htm
  43. Scaffolding contacting overhead linehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/overhead/scaffold.htm
  44. Moving tower scaffoldhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/overhead/painters.htm
  45. Overview - Electrical maintenancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/index.htm
  46. Changing an electrodehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/electrode.htm
  47. Touching live equipmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/touch.htm
  48. Incorrectly wired appliancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/appliance.htm
  49. Insulating live wireshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/insulate.htm
  50. Faulty air conditioning unithttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/aircondition.htm
  51. Live electrical panelhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/panel.htm
  52. Supply not been properly isolatedhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/isolate.htm
  53. Injuries result in amputationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/amputation.htm
  54. Switchgear not isolatedhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/switchgear.htm
  55. Induction heat treatment machinehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/heart.htm
  56. Poorly constructed equipmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/testing.htm
  57. Pressure water washing machinehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/washingmachine.htm
  58. Metal fencehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/fence.htm
  59. Incorrectly wiring a machinehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/wiring.htm
  60. Mail wrapping machinehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/mail.htm
  61. Overview - Excavationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/excavations/index.htm
  62. Cable locatorhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/excavations/locator.htm
  63. Road breakerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/excavations/roadbreaker.htm
  64. Pneumatic impact molehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/excavations/mole.htm
  65. Pneumatic breakerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/excavations/breaker.htm
  66. Jackhammerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/excavations/jackhammer.htm
  67. Breaking concretehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/excavations/concrete.htm
  68. Gas pipes and electrical cableshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/excavations/digger.htm
  69. Overview - Ignition of potentially explosive atmosphereshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/explosive/index.htm
  70. Removing paint in a yachthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/explosive/paint.htm
  71. Cleaning electric stirrerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/explosive/clean.htm
  72. How do I know if my electrical equipment is safe?https://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/faq.htm#q2
  73. How often should I test my electrical equipment?https://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/faq.htm#q7
  74. A worker received a 240 Volt electric shock whilst using a pressure washer.https://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/washingmachine.htm
  75. Types of electrical injurieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/injuries.htm
  76. Electrical Safety Council guide on safe isolation procedures for low voltage installationshttps://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/media/1201/best-practice-guide-2-issue-3.pdf
  77. Controlling the risks in the workplacehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg163.pdf
  78. Maintaining portable electric equipment in low-risk environmentshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg236.htm
  79. Electrical safety and you: A brief guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg231.htm
  80. Electrical safety and you: A brief guide - Welshhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg231w.htm
  81. Do you use a steam/water pressure cleaner?https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg68.pdf
  82. Maintenance priorities in catering.https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cais12.htm
  83. Maintaining portable and transportable electrical equipment.https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg107.htm
  84. Electrical test equipment for use by electricians.https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/gs38.htm
  85. Electrical risks from steam/water pressure cleanershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/pm29.htm
  86. Memorandum of guidance on the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsr25.htm
  87. Electricity at work: Safe working practiceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg85.htm
  88. Maintaining portable electrical equipmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg107.htm
  89. Keeping electrical switchgear safe https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg230.htm
  90. HSE Bookshttps://books.hse.gov.uk/
  91. ESQCRhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/esqcr/index.htm
  92. incidentshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/esqcr/index.htm
  93. Construction industryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/index.htm
  94. Agriculturehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/index.htm
  95. Offshore divisionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/index.htm
  96. Chemical industrieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/chemicals/index.htm
  97. Quarrieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/quarries/index.htm
  98. RIDDORhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/index.htm
  99. Statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/index.htm

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

ESQCR[91]
Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations

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Updated 2023-04-12