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The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989

 

The purpose of these regulations is to outline precautions that should be taken against the risk of personal injury from electricity in work related activities. The regulations impose duties on persons in relation to systems, electrical equipment. They apply to almost all places of work and electrical systems at all voltages.

Definitions

a) electrical equipment – includes anything used to generate, provide, transmit, rectify, convert, conduct, distribute, control, store, measure or use electrical energy.

b) conductor – means a conductor of electrical energy. It means any material (solid, liquid or gas) capable of conducting electricity

c) system – term used in Regs 8 & 9 only, means a conduction I a system which is intended to carry electric current in normal conditions. It would include a combined neutral and earth conductor, but does not include a conductor provided solely to perform a protective connection to earth or other reference point and energized only during abnormal conditions

d) circuit conductor - in the context of these regulations means a risk of injury from any electrical hazard.

Duties – Reg 3

Duties are imposed on all parties, employers, employees and the self employed. Particular duties that employees are expected to take on as part of their job role are:

• To cooperate with their employer so far as is necessary to enable any duty placed on the employer to be complied with
• To comply with the provisions of these regulations in so far as they relate to matters which are within their control.