This is an interesting question as the perception is that everything should be tested every year, if only this was the case, it would make life a lot easier for those doing the tests. The fact is that there are no hard and fast rules as to when or how often items should be tested.

 Let’ s look at the whole picture first, portable electrical appliances need to be inspected and tested on a regular basis, inspection frequency need not be the same as the testing frequency, in fact they should be inspected by the operator every time they are used (is the plug damaged? are there any breaks in the cable? is there any damage to the appliance casing?) In other words a common sense approach to using any electrical item. This said not every fault will be spotted by a simple inspection, therefore it is essential that a regime of thorough inspections and testing be set up.

 Now we go back to the original question, how often? Although there is no hard and fast rule, there is a code of practice produced by the IEE which provides guidance for qualified testers to use, to answer this question, however the final frequency will depend upon many factors, which an experienced tester will take into account and come up with a sensible schedule.

 There are three main considerations when deciding how often to test an electrical appliance:

 Type of premises: The conditions or type of premises will have a major effect on the frequency of testing, imagine using something as simple as an extension lead, these can be found in every environment, however we would not expect one in an office to be subject to damage as much as one in a fabrication workshop. In general we would categorise the premises into 6 sections; Construction, Industrial, Public, Schools, Hotels and Shops & Offices.

 Type of Equipment: The appliance itself will also dictate the frequency in which it is to be tested, some equipment is more susceptible to damage than others, for example an electric drill is more at risk than say a refrigerator, in general terms the more portable an appliance is, the more it is likely to get damaged. Appliances are generally split into 5 categories; Stationary, IT, Moveable, Portable and Hand-held.

 3.    Equipment Construction: When we say construction, we mean how well the live electrical parts are separated from being able to be touched, in other words how well they are insulated. An appliance which is well insulated will need a less frequent inspection regime than one that only has basic insulation. There are four classes of insulation, class 0 which has only basic insulation and no earth, class 1 which has basic insulation and a facility to connect to earth, class 2 which has enhanced double insulation but with no earth and finally class 3 or separated extra low voltage , which uses low voltage power fed from a double insulated transformer and no earth.

 As can be seen here, there are many permutations to be taken into consideration when deciding how often to test an electrical appliance, which is why a qualified PAT tester will have been trained not only how to check the equipment, but also how to manage the testing regime. So going back to the original question “how often do I need to test my electrical appliances” there are 120 possible answers for each and every appliance, so please let the experts sort it out for you.

 We hope that we have been able to answer the question and demonstrate that having your appliances tested at the correct intervals is not a cost, but an investment in your company’s future prosperity. Should you have further questions about this subject or any other health and safety issues, then please do not hesitate to contact us at info@anchorhands.co.uk

So here we are 2012 is under way and so far the resolutions are holding up. And this is one of them, to keep you up to date with what is going on with the high street style and fashion trends, what is in, what is out and what just needs a little tweaking to keep up to date.

I rarely come  anyone now who is not being effected by the current financial state the country is in, so if we can keep on trend by just adding a few key pieces to what is already in our wardrobes then we can save a small fortune.

To do this though you need to know what is in your wardrobe in the first place, make sure it is the right colour and shape for you and identify the gaps that need filling in to make it all work for you. 

Everyone has favourite pieces they go back to again and again and those are usually the ones that flatter them the most ,so we all know what looks good on us we just get side tracked from time to time by the latest must have item which never looks the same when we get it home and try to find something to go with it. 

We still have a couple of months before spring sets in for those of us who are determined to drop some weight and fit back into some of our favourites, so don’t do anything drastic yet if you are struggling. It is always good to have something you want to get back into to spur you on. However there are still probably at least ten to fifteen items in your wardrobe you will not wear again, so be strong , bag them up and send them to the charity shop for someone else to get some use out of.

Dresses are still going to be in style this year which is great as they are much less complicated than mixing and matching skirts, blouses and trousers if you are not confident with what suits you.

Collars and necklines in general will be a focus this year, they can be dressed up or down with all the accessories on the market today at very reasonable prices.

Wide trousers are still in, very flattering to ladies with hips and thighs,  though best avoided if you are very slim as you can look swamped.

It’s rumoured red is going to be the colour this year and it will be interesting to see how this is presented in the shops, whether the cool and warm complexions will be catered for as there is a significant difference in the effect the blue reds and orange reds have on different skin tones.

So first job of the year is to sort your wardrobe, if you need a hand get in touch, there is nothing more satisfying than having a wardrobe full of something to wear rather than nothing.  You can contact us here.

Check in next month when I will have more information about what you should and shouldn’t be wearing this Spring and Summer and which styles suit which shapes.

This is a question that we get asked a lot of times and there are several parts to the answer, so let’s look at this stage by stage. 

Firstly there’s the humanitarian issue, do we want to put our staff, ourselves or the public in danger? Off course we don’t, but that’s exactly what we are doing if we do not maintain all equipment in a safe manner. According to some HSE statistics 1% of all industrial accidents are as a result of electrocution from faulty or badly maintained electrical equipment, however this 1% of accidents represents 6% of total fatalities.

Secondly there’s a business continuity issue, whilst all equipment will be out of service for a very short moment (during testing) this is minute compared to the same piece of kit electrocuting someone. At this point your production will be stopped whilst HSE and police investigate the circumstances, your man power will have been reduced (the member of staff being off sick or even killed) the piece of kit will probably need to be repaired or replaced, all this is costing the company time.

 Thirdly we have an intellectual issue, having had an incident it’s almost certain that you will have a negative effect on morale within your work force, as they will feel that they are not valued enough to look after. In addition to this your professional image to your existing and potential customers will also be affected, how many of them want to be associated with a company that is careless or just doesn’t care?

 Next we have the cost to the company, yes there is a cost involved in having the equipment tested and with this you get what you pay for. To test an electrical appliance properly in accordance with IEE code of practice takes between 4 and 6 minutes (so if anyone tells you he can test more 120 in a day, then beware) If you take the cost of the testing and put it against the items we have already covered then the alternative costs involved would be; court costs in being sued for negligence or even prosecuted for corporate manslaughter, loss of production, sick pay, reduced production from remaining staff, replacement or repair of the piece of kit, HSE costs, loss of revenue and you will still need to pay for your appliances to be tested.

 If by now you’re getting really depressed about this, then buckle up because there’s more. According to fire brigade statistics 26% of fires, on commercial premises, are caused by faulty electrical equipment, this means there is a potential for one in four businesses to be the victim of fire as a result. The consequences of a fire on your premises are potentially far more serious than previously explained; more injuries, more fatalities, greater loss of continuity, removal from the market place (whether this is temporary or permanent), greater costs or even total loss of your business.

 “This may all be inconvenient, but our insurance will pay to get us back on our feet” check your small print, because you may find that by not carrying out your best endeavours to prevent these incidents, that you have invalidated your insurance, there may also be a clause that states you must comply with all of your legal duties.

 Which brings us to the last point, “why do I need to test my electrical equipment” because it’s your legal duty, under various health and safety legislation, it is your responsibility to maintain all equipment in a safe manner and the best way to do this is employ a regime of regular inspections and testing.

 We hope that we have been able to answer the question and demonstrate that having your appliances tested is not a cost, but an investment in your company’s future prosperity. Should you have further questions about this subject or any other health and safety issues, then please do not hesitate to contact us at info@anchorhands.co.uk

As usual our posts on this blog are reflecting our efforts to satisfy all of our clients in the most appropriate way despite what seems to be going on around us.  This one was prompted by a comment from an architect at a breakfast meeting I was at today when he mentioned the number of single house building developments he is working on have soared.

We are often asked via our introducers and indeed via the enquiries on our website to help arrange funding for residential development projects and the first question we always ask is ”where is the project located?” – The answer often determines the level of support that the UK lenders are prepared to give.

The title says it all, there is indeed a huge portion of the UK that is north of Watford, but to the vast majority of the lenders that have set their stall out to support the UK development finance market, it might as well be another planet.  Admittedly, the money seems to emanate from the South East and inside the M25 it appears that nothing can go wrong, are they being short sighted or just prudent?

On a recent exercise on a fairly chunky development proposition in the West Midlands, which is not quite the end of the world, we used the details of those current lenders in the UK, that have said they support development funding, gleaned from the latest copy of ‘The finance Book’ to find out whether they would even consider the application.  The result – out of 28 lenders approached, only 2 were willing to quote anything near reasonable terms for the business with the high street lenders being particularly unwilling.  The main response was “it is too far away”.

I don’t know the numbers but it wouldn’t surprise me if more people lived and worked ‘North of Watford’ than south of there, and they all have to live somewhere, so come on folks, the numbers might not be so big, but the market is, and the argument is always there that a range of smaller development projects across a wider series of locations does mean that the lenders are not putting all their eggs in one Country (Greece) basket.

If you do have a small residential development (Up to say 10 houses) ‘North of Watford’ do get in touch, because we now know who wants to play.  You can contact us here

For those with little or no experience of curtain making, as well as those who want to improve on their skills and learn the ‘proper’ techniques. The following topics are covered:
- Tracks and poles
- Taped curtain headings
- Measuring and estimating fabric requirements
- Locked in linings and mitred corners
Students will make a sample, lined curtain with hand finished hem and sides, and machined heading tape to take away along with handouts.

Full details can be found here – Forthcoming Workshops