Introduction

As a user of council-issued electrical equipment, you have a responsibility to make sure that it remains in good working order, and has no obvious visual damage or defects, such as a cracked screen or faulty lead.

While the council will arrange for your equipment to be PAT tested each year, there are also some simple checks you should carry out each day while you are using the equipment. This applies whether you work from home, or in a council office or depot.

Simple checks

You can make sure your equipment is safe to use, by carrying out a few simple checks each day before you plug in the equipment and switch it on.

Equipment enclosure or casing

Check the outer cover of your laptop or desktop computer for:

• physical damage, such as cracks or chemical corrosion
• signs of overheating, for example the equipment is hotter than usual to touch, or there are burn marks or staining
• signs of where fluids or other foreign bodies may have entered the enclosure or casing.

Mains cables, including transformer

Look at the:

• entire length of the cable - check for damage, such as cuts or fraying
• joints or connections - check for anything that is unsafe
• transformer (if relevant) for signs of overheating, or any loose connections.

Mains plugs

Check that:

• the plug fits tightly into the mains outlet (and doesn’t fall out). There should some resistance when you try to remove it
• there is no damage, such as a crack in the casing
• there are no signs of overheating, such as melted plastic or the plug being hotter than usual to touch
• the mains cable is secure in the plug, and that there are no visible or loose wires.

Recording equipment checks

You do not need to record the checks you carry out. You only need to act if you have a problem.

What to do if you find a problem

If you identify an issue:

• do not switch on the affected piece of equipment
• let your manager know if your work is affected until you have a solution
• contact IT for further advice.

To contact IT you can: