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HSE and electrical safety

Under UK law the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSW Act) in Great Britain or the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 in Northern Ireland employers are responsible for ensuring the safety and health of their employees and also the public, if they are at risk from those work activities. This includes electrical safety.

Electrical Inspectors aim to reduce the number of electrical accidents by enforcing the law, providing advice on good working practices, and developing guidance in response to technical changes in equipment and working methods.

Electrical Inspectors work in cooperation with other responsible bodies including The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC)[72], Local Authority Standards departments and The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem[73]).

Electricity supply

Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC)   [74] enforces the continuity and quality aspects of the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 [75]. For further information contact the DECC Inspectorate at DECC. HSE enforces the safety aspects of these regulations. There are particular reporting requirements placed on distributors under these regulations, these are separate to reporting requirements under RIDDOR.

The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem)[76] look after the interests of electricity consumers. This is principally a financial role, monitoring electricity generation, distribution and supply. For further information contact Ofgem.

The address of your nearest Health and Safety Executive office[77] can be found on the HSE's website. For some workplaces (such as offices, shops, hotels, many warehouses) the Local Authority enforces electrical safety regulations, generally its environmental services department. HSE and the Local Authorities work together to provide consistent advice and enforcement by means of a liaison committee (HELA)[78].
Annual electrical accident statistics in the workplace can be found in the HSE Annual Report and in the HSE Health and Safety Statistics, also published each year.

Further information about these publications is available from HSE Books[79].

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Link URLs in this page

  1. Electrical safetyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/index.htm
  2. Overview - Introductionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/precautions.htm
  3. Work near electricityhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/nearelectric.htm
  4. Excavation and underground serviceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/information/excavations.htm
  5. Overhead power lineshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/information/overhead.htm
  6. Work using electrically powered equipmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/electricequip.htm
  7. Work on electrical equipment, machinery or installationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/withequip.htm
  8. Maintaining electrical equipmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/safety.htm
  9. Electricity in potentially explosive atmosphereshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/explosive.htm
  10. Overview - HSE electrical safetyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/hse.htm
  11. How we work https://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/how.htm
  12. Who we are https://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/who.htm
  13. Contactshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/contacts.htm
  14. Electrical injurieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/injuries.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. Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC)https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-energy-climate-change
  73. The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgemhttps://www.ofgem.gov.uk/
  74. Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC)   https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-energy-climate-change
  75. Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/2665/contents/made
  76. The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem)http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Pages/OfgemHome.aspx
  77. address of your nearest Health and Safety Executive officehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/index.htm
  78. liaison committee (HELA)https://www.hse.gov.uk/lau/lacs/index.htm
  79. HSE Bookshttps://books.hse.gov.uk/
  80. Memorandum of guidance on the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsr25.htm
  81. Electricity at work: Safe working practices https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg85.htm
  82. Electrical safety and you: A brief guide https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg231.htm
  83. HSE Bookshttps://books.hse.gov.uk/
  84. ESQCRhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/esqcr/index.htm
  85. incidentshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/esqcr/index.htm
  86. Construction industryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/index.htm
  87. Agriculturehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/index.htm
  88. Offshore divisionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/index.htm
  89. Chemical industrieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/chemicals/index.htm
  90. Quarrieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/quarries/index.htm
  91. RIDDORhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/index.htm
  92. Statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/index.htm

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

ESQCR[84]
Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations

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Updated 2023-01-09