Electrical Safety Issues for Suffolk Firm Resulted in H&S Investigation

A firm in Suffolk have been fined after their electrical fittings were found to be unsafe. The Health and Safety Executive visited the plastics manufacturers and found that there were some serious problems that were considered to be very dangerous.  The issues related to the way the electrical systems had been constructed and maintained at the Techplas premises is Sudbury.  The company was being investigated because of a separate issue when the dangerous electrics were spotted.

Multiple Issues Were Spotted by the HSE Inspectors

The Magistrates court in Bury heard that the inspectors discovered that a live 400 volt cable was hanging off the wall along with a broken socket including a live 400 volt cable was coiled up on the floor. The inspectors also discovered that electric switches and fused spurs were also hanging dangerously off the core cabling and this meant there was an exposed live 230 volt cable.  There were several guards that had been removed from a plastics machine too, causing immediate danger as soon as the machine was turned on.

As a result of the findings the HSE inspectors handed out 3 prohibition notices and demanded that improvements needed to be made. This was because the electric dangers and poorly guarded machine posed immediate threat to all the workers in the premises. It was only a matter of luck that no one had been injured or suffered an electric shock.

Maintain Your Electrics to Reduce the Risks

Employers must ensure that the workplace is safe for everyone. Electrics must be carefully maintained and ignoring the state of electrics will result in prosecution, whether anyone has been hurt or not. It is important to make sure that any problems are taken care of immediately by competent people and that employees know who to talk to if they spot any hazards in the workplace.

There are some excellent health and safety services that can point out what problems need to be immediately addressed. One of the services provided by health and safety consultants is the audit service. The trained professionals will come to your premises and give you detailed information regarding the current situation regarding health and safety. You can use this service to ensure the place is safe for your employees and any visitors discover what is working well regarding your health and safety management and what areas need attention.

If you would like to learn more about the audit or any other health and safety service we recommend contacting our friendly team of advisors. You can do so by filling in our simple online form or by calling: 0800 1488 677.