EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
ELECTRICAL EDUCATION Tim Beardsmore, Commercial Director of electrical testing specialist Calbarrie
Compliance Services, explains the electrical statutory responsibilities for schools and colleges and why school holidays are the ideal time to get testing done.
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) states that overall accountability for health and safety lies with the employer of the staff in the school. However day-to-day running of the school including responsibility for the health and safety of staff and pupils, is normally delegated to the head teacher and school management team. They have a key role in making sure risks are managed effectively on site. Statistics show that young people are more at risk of injury due to electrical faults than other age groups.
Electrical systems within schools and colleges are subject to deterioration, due to factors such as damage, wear and tear, corrosion, excessive electrical loading, ageing and environmental influences. The law requires that testing of these items be carried out by a ‘competent person’ (someone who has the suitable training, skills and knowledge for the task to prevent injury to themselves and others). Without the correct certification not only is the employer putting their staff and pupils at risk but they may experience severe disruption to educational activities and their insurance company may not cover costs in the event of a claim resulting from an electrical fault.
Compliance testing carried out by a school caretaker, albeit with the best intentions, is not going to be as effective or efficient as a trained PAT engineer. With multiple tasks to complete, the
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caretaker will often test sporadically to fit around other more urgent or reactive duties. Suitable training will be required, which comes at a cost; a qualified, experienced engineer will conduct approximately 500 tests per day and complete a whole site quickly whilst freeing up the caretaker to carry out other key responsibilities.
“WITHOUT THE CORRECT CERTIFICATION THE
EMPLOYER IS PUTTING THEIR STAFF AND PUPILS AT RISK.”
With cuts in school budgets, educational establishments need to be considering more cost-effective options. The outsourcing of testing to a specialist service provider is becoming common amongst the education sector. As well as allowing the caretaker to carry out more jobs, it reduces the opportunity cost and ensures that the job is completed by a fully-qualified test engineer with experience of working on educational sites.
Outsourcing involves transferring risk to specialist providers who can deliver a bespoke service and price proposition. Aimed at building long- term relationships and working towards committed values, specialist providers can reduce cost and increase efficiency and effectiveness that can outperform a school or college that is trying to deliver other core services.
Through experienced, specialist (and loyal) engineers, and investment in technology, greater saving can be offered whilst still maintaining service levels. Few schools or colleges can provide these capabilities in-house at the same level.
An experienced provider will have the ability to share the school’s responsibilities by holding the necessary insurances and proactive compliance management via online records of testing dates and the setting of reminders for when inspection and testing is due.
Our figures show that testing during school holidays is at least 20% more productive than in term-time. Some schools like to benefit from fixed prices and schedule their testing up to five years ahead, with the same engineers returning year after year, as they are familiar with the site. In this way the school remains compliant and confident that the environment is safe and they have demonstrated cost efficiency whilst securing their budgets for the future.
Sensible and effective management of health and safety relies on the management team making sure risk is managed responsibly. Good communication by all parties is critical to getting this right. Where you have staff health and safety representatives or a safety committee they can play a valuable role in contributing to the development of a positive health and safety culture.
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