Transcript Electrical Safety

Electrical Safety
John Madden CEng FIET
Electrical Safety Consultant
[email protected]
07511654975
Risk Assessments
 Reflect on:
 my experience as an HSE Electrical
Inspector.
 issues raised during recent Crown Court
trial.
 How to comply.
My experience
 Assessing risk is not a new concept.
 Electrical engineers had a legal duty
to produce ‘risk assessments’ since
1908 – Electrical Safety Rules.
 Prior to MHSW Regs, we had method
statements, codes of practice,
standing instructions, safety rules
etc. All were ‘risk assessments’.
My experience
 Risk assessments are always examined
during investigations.
 Remember: investigators apply 20/20 hindsight.
 Risk assessments are all too often:
None-existent
Drafted but not available
Overly complicated
Not known or understood by the workers, ie those
at risk
 Not related to the specific job and/or site
 Not applied by workers and their supervisors
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Crown Court Trial – Feb/March 2013
 Lorry loader
operator seriously
hurt delivering
cabin to site of
music festival.
 To be security
cabin located in
field used as camp
site for festival
attendees.
Crown Court Trial
 Unloaded cabin
underneath 11000
volt overhead line.
 Crane touched the
line, he received
serious shock and
burn injuries.
 Line at height of
about 7 metres.
Crown Court Trial
 Two risk assessment elements:
 The responsibility of the festival
organisers/managers to manage the risk
from the live line.
 The responsibility of the crane operator
to manage the risk from the line while
unloading the cabin.
Crown Court Trial
 Organisers had
engaged event
planners to identify
risks, but with
limited remit
 Hazard of live
overhead line not
identified
Crown Court Trial
 Judge said that it was common sense that
the live line should not have been there. If
this had been recognised by risk
assessment, accident would have been
prevented
 A simple risk assessment would have
identified the risk to the festival goers and
workers.
 What about the injured driver’s
responsibilities?
Crown Court Trial
 Event organisers pled guilty to HSWA
charge and fined £20K with £25k
costs.
 Event planning company also charged
under HSWA, pled not guilty, and
were acquitted by the jury.
How to comply
 Legal duty to do them.
 Do they need to be written?
 HSE staff use dynamic risk
assessments based on hazard-based
instructions applied by competent
persons.
 One means of complying but not always
suitable, especially for high risk or
unusual situations or where competence
may be limited.
How to comply
 Keep them simple, understandable and
available.
 Apply common sense and be proportionate.
 Make sure they address the task- and sitespecific risks and identify suitable control
measures.
 Make sure that the workers either see them
or are instructed in their content.
How to comply
 Good advice, with some model
assessments and references to
guidance material, available at
www.hse.gov.uk/risk/riskassessment.htm