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testing safe of a 16 Amp commando socket/plug

Former Community Member
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Hello,i am an RF engineer and we have equipment that is fed by rack mounted AC/DC converters which charge batteries. these converters are wired into fused spurs using 2.5mm arctic blue cable routed into cable trunking. the 2.5mm cable is fixed in the rack before entering the trunking.

At the moment we are all trained in testing the circuit is switched off using a martindale VIPD138 voltage indicator and proving unit and then we lock off the circuit.

Everyone's training is due to expire and our company health and safety department want to change the installation from the fused spur to 16 Amp commando sockets/plugs rather than retrain everyone in proving the circuit has been switched off.


I have no issues with using commando sockets instead of the fused spurs but my concern is that if the nearest location the commando socket can be mounted is the other end of the room and there are numerous commando sockets supplying different racks how do you prove you have pulled the correct plug? surely you have to still be able to test the circuit has been switched off using the tester and training required.


I am having a discussion with the Health and safety department next week so any advice would be gratefully received.

Thanks
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    Liam T,


    Maybe Im looking at things from the wrong direction so forgive me!


    You mention in your post that "Everyone's training is due to expire" and your H&S team are wanting to change the physical set up as they perhaps feel that one day your are trained and competant to carry out that isolation task you have all been doing for x number of years. The very next day when your training cert has now went beyond its expiry date? you are suddenly not competant? I think this is a situation of tick box excersises, does your existing training cert actually have a expiry date on it? or has somebody just decided after three or so years that retraining is required or a simple update and refresh course.


    The cost to change the set up you described to a  plug and socket arrangement may be more than the training costs?


    I can only think of the hundreds of thousands of electricians, maintenance engineers etc out working today and when were they last assessed on safe isolation?


    If people require an refresher, can an authorised electrical person not just have yourself and colleagues run through the safe isolation and proving for dead scenarios with a few simple questions and a actual isolation carried out and that event then recorded.


    GTB
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  • 0
    Liam T,


    Maybe Im looking at things from the wrong direction so forgive me!


    You mention in your post that "Everyone's training is due to expire" and your H&S team are wanting to change the physical set up as they perhaps feel that one day your are trained and competant to carry out that isolation task you have all been doing for x number of years. The very next day when your training cert has now went beyond its expiry date? you are suddenly not competant? I think this is a situation of tick box excersises, does your existing training cert actually have a expiry date on it? or has somebody just decided after three or so years that retraining is required or a simple update and refresh course.


    The cost to change the set up you described to a  plug and socket arrangement may be more than the training costs?


    I can only think of the hundreds of thousands of electricians, maintenance engineers etc out working today and when were they last assessed on safe isolation?


    If people require an refresher, can an authorised electrical person not just have yourself and colleagues run through the safe isolation and proving for dead scenarios with a few simple questions and a actual isolation carried out and that event then recorded.


    GTB
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