The importance of using testing equipment at home and work
No modern day home or office would be able to work without electricity. Whether it is supplied by fossil fuels or renewable sources, millions of households and businesses would be stumped without it. However, all electrical appliances must be charged up with a safe, consistent supply. The appliances themselves need to be safe too, as even a slight fault could be very risky.
To check whether the supply and the appliances are safe to use, the thing to do is use testing equipment. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), safety inspections of machinery in workplaces must be carried out regularly. Using testing equipment to see if the machinery works safely is a big part of that.
Home and office
In the workplace, failure to carry out safety checks could result in massive consequences. For the business, an unidentified electrical hazard could result in fire, which may end up destroying the premises. For the employees and customers, their lives would be at risk if an electrical fire were to break out.
At home, the outcome of an electrical flaw getting out of control would be similar to that in a workplace. One of the most common causes of equipment not working properly at home is dangerous cable. A report from last month revealed that over 11 million metres of dangerous electrical cables had been installed in homes throughout the UK.
The best case scenario would be that the machinery or other electrical appliances would not work. This would have a big impact on the ability to perform all kinds of tasks, such as production and running IT systems. At home, you would merely be in the dark.
Identifying the problem
Testing regularly will help to spot any problems and find their cause(s), but what equipment is needed? It depends on what equipment you need to test – fuse boxes, domestic appliances such as fridges, mains sockets and computer servers are all common examples.
Draw up a list of all electrical equipment to see what you need to test. Then, look at which testing equipment will work best for your needs. If your machinery or tech is running slowly, equipment that measures the flow of electricity is essential. Tools can also be used to measure a number of performance indicators at the same time e.g. vibration.
When you have your list of items to test, go to a test equipment supplier that has what you need. Devices that are industry-specific such as oscilloscopes for healthcare and altimeters for aviation should be considered. Generic test equipment may not suffice for some businesses.
This equipment must be used routinely – at least once a month. Use it on a faulty appliance, socket or piece of wiring a few times in the same test to see if there are any anomalies. If so, the next step would be to replace it for something new that works far more safely.
Wider safety plan
Businesses in particular need to use testing equipment as part of a wider safety plan. Without it, they run the risk of seeing their operations grind to a halt in the event of a power outage. All it takes is a few minutes to plug the equipment in and wait for an accurate reading and understanding what measurements such as megahertz and volts mean.
Knowing that there is a problem with the electrics or appliances at work and home can be really useful for two reasons. Firstly, it encourages the business or homeowner to find out what the cause is and seek a solution. Secondly, it informs the business/homeowner that need to buy new technology.
Incorporating testing into a safety plan makes sense. In a business environment, it helps to give workers and customers reassurance that every precaution has been taken. At home, it can help to stop prized possessions from being damaged.