New Safety at Work regulations and the recent insistance of insurance companies and standards authorities call for Portable Appliance Testing procedures to be in place within companies. But what are the penalties for not having PAT testing approved equipment? In short, non-compliance organisations run the risk of injury or death, fire, private legal action and invalidating your commercial insurance policy.
Calibration is a comparison between two measurements – one of known level or correctness with one device (known as the standard) and another measurement made in as similar a way as possible with a second device (known as the unit under test).
Portable Appliance Testing for Offices – here’s what you need to know… Most office staff use electrical equipment, but if electrical equipment is unsafe it could cause personal injury, workplace fires or even kill. Portable appliance testing in offices aims to prevent electrical injury, such as electric shock, burns and fires of electrical origin.
OSHA standards related to control of hazardous energy require companies to formulate effective energy isolation processes that best suit their workplace, after careful consideration of the different energy sources being used in the manufacturing facility. When Locking Out an Energy Source each type of energy source should be locked out by applying the right lockout device and tagged appropriately to visually warn people who share or use the same work area. While ball, gate and butterfly valves serve to lockout pneumatic and hydraulic systems, electrical energy is isolated by using suitable Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) lockout toggles or pin-in/pin-out devices … Continue reading
Studies show that over 85% of disruptive failures in high voltage (HV) and medium voltage (MV) equipment are Partial Discharge related. Partial Discharge action ultimately leads to failure. Our PD testing service does not require shutdown and is the best way to plan maintenance, repair or replacement activities in a cost effective and efficient way. You can learn more about PD Testing by viewing our range of Partial Discharge videos here.
The TracePQM “Traceability routes for electrical power quality measurements” research project has now concluded. The overall aim of this project was to develop and validate a modular metrology grade system for the measurement of power and PQ parameters using digital sampling techniques. Arising out of the project, the NSAI, National Metrology Laboratory, Glasnevin, Dublin 11 – www.nsai.ie) hope to develop a capability for the calibration of power & power quality meters and calibrators. The Project stakeholders included: ESB Networks, UCD Energy Institute, Compliance Engineering Ireland, Fluke Calibration, various European Universities and Calibration Houses and Powerpoint Engineering Limited. Powerpoint Engineering Limited … Continue reading
Reduce Costs, Downtime, Failures and Equipment Damage Today’s facilities engineers are saving of millions of Euros every year with infrared steam system inspections. Significantly improve profitability and reduce your operating, testing and maintenance costs by: Quickly pinpointing faulty equipment Reducing downtime and equipment damage Preventing catastrophic failures Cutting fuel costs and boosting efficiency Targeting maintenance efforts Establishing repair priorities Steam Systems: What You Don’t Know Can Cost You In steam systems, improper heat distribution is a sign of wasted money and impending trouble. Temperature anomalies can indicate blockages, component failures or other common problems. Any one of these faults can … Continue reading
Calibration is generally done for instruments that are used for obtaining accurate results. The outcome of a measurement is referenced with some standard values and checked for precision. Many manufacturers offer to pre-calibrate instruments prior to sale. The calibration documents are given with the device for the safety of the customer and for service purposes. Calibration enables both the users and businesses to be assured in the results that they record and control. Calibration is starting to diminish within domestic confinements and has taken over the field of manufacturing. As a result, devices in the market have become highly reliable, since the possibility … Continue reading
Everyone is talking about Portable Appliance Test Courses– but what’s the big deal? Portable Appliance Testing, more commonly known as PAT Testing, is the process by which electrical appliances are checked for safety. Not everyone can conduct these safety tests- to be able to carry out PAT Testing yourself you need to be deemed competent. In order to be deemed competent, you will need to complete a PAT Test Course, also knows as PAT Training Course.
This is a synopsis of power quality case study regarding the phenomenon of Voltage Sag experienced at a pharma plant. A pharmaceutical company site in Dublin had been experiencing some critical sags at their incoming supply. Read more about the power quality issues faced, and learn what solutions were offered by Powerpoint Engineering Ltd.
Electric arcs are among the most serious risks that threaten the safety of workers, especially those employed in the power sector or heavy industries. This makes it imperative for personnel working in such environments to protect themselves adequately before entering the work area. To assist you, I have put together the following information that I hope will give you an overview of Arc Flash Protective Workwear: The Imminent Danger of an Arc Flash Understanding the imminent hazard of an arc flash is a prerequisite to sourcing the right protective clothing that is best suited for a specific job/environment. Accident statistics across the world reveal that … Continue reading
So, you’re wondering how to PAT Test (portable appliance testing) a kettle? We’ve written down the basic steps required to a successfully PAT test a small portable appliance like a kettle. Before performing any type of inspection and testing, it’s important to make sure that the kettle is safe and is being used in the correct environment.
Safety padlocks serve to lockout a specific piece of equipment or machinery, or even an entire area during preventive maintenance or repair. They are an integral part of industrial safety measures and are of equal importance in any environment housing heavy machinery or electrical installations. What To Look For When Choosing A Safety Padlock? Safety padlocks are hard to get past, and prove more effective in restricting access than safety tags and other purely visual indications, which may go unnoticed. Here are some factors that can help with the selection. Durability Durability of safety padlocks needs careful attention. The material … Continue reading
When you complete a PAT training course, you will have mastered both manual and theoretical aspects of PAT testing. Here are 10 reasons why it’s a good idea for you to enrol in a PAT Testing training course…
Thermal Imaging is the fastest growing non-intrusive predictive maintenance technology on the market today. Thermal Imaging Cameras are now an essential tool for predictive maintenance inspections, and are increasingly being used in industrial environments. Thermal Imaging is the only technology that allows you to immediately ‘see’ what’s wrong.
Insulating rubber gloves offer workers that work on or near live wires, personal protection against electrical shocks. Insulating rubber gloves undergo a range of voltage, ageing and mechanical testing which ensures that they comply with IEC 60903 and EN 60903 standards. Insulating Glove Types There are two main types of insulated gloves:
Substations require a predictive maintenance approach as a failure could spell disaster for consumers, in the form of lost revenues and production, and result in lower utility revenues from lost sales courtesy unreliable service. As overheating and also extremely frigid operating temperatures could signal electrical component degradation, thermal imaging tools offer predictive capabilities necessary for switchgear and substation maintenance. Substation Overview Within the power distribution and generation industries, substation could be referred to or may get used in multiple ways. Different outdoor environments, right from equipment at industrial setups for modifying or switching voltage to generating station switchyards, characteristics such … Continue reading
With all the new Safety at Work regulations and the recent insistance of insurance companies and standards authorities for PAT Testing procedures to be in place within companies, you have to ask: “Which PAT Tester is the right one?”
When there is a danger of being exposed to an electric arc, personnel are advised to wear arc approved protective clothing. IEC 61482-2 is the overall standard that covers protective clothing against the thermal arc hazards of an electric arc. The IEC 61482-2 standard also covers various aspects of the garment design. This is a requirement for selling garments for arc flash protection within the EU. Garments complying with all of these requirements outlined under IEC 61482-2 should be marked with the IEC 61482-2 symbol as well as the level of protection it meets.
From minor control trips right down to compressor and transformer failures, harmonics can have an impact on every type of HVAC equipment. Surprisingly, harmonics is something that quite often can be overlooked. Harmonic currents and the electrical distribution system Harmonic currents flow in a circuit at multiples of the fundamental 60 hertz (Hz) frequency. For example, current flowing in a circuit at 180 Hz is the third harmonic (60 Hz multiplied by 3). These currents are not indicated on multimeters and therefore are usually not detected until unusual control and equipment problems start to happen. Comparing these current readings from … Continue reading