Revsion 1
Electrical Safety at Work
Lesduur is: 25 minOnderdelen in deze les
Electrical Safety at Work
Open the lesson by framing it around everyday engineering practice: safe systems, legal duties, and reporting serious incidents.
Learning goal
I can state key employer responsibilities, identify reportable incidents under RIDDOR, and explain two requirements of the Electricity at Work Act.
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
What words do you link with electrical safety at work?
Use this to surface prior knowledge such as shock, training, PPE, danger, wiring, reporting or risk. Briefly connect student ideas to the lesson goals.
Why these laws matter
In an engineering workplace, electricity, machinery and tools can cause serious harm if risks are not controlled.
Health and safety law sets clear duties for employers and workers so that systems are safe, work is planned properly, and serious incidents are reported.
Keep the focus on engineering: electrical hazards, machine hazards, and legal compliance in workshops and industrial settings.
Electricity at Work Act: main aim
The key aim is to prevent danger from electrical systems.
This includes how systems are designed, used, maintained and worked on.
Students may know the title of the law but not its purpose. Emphasise that the law is about preventing harm before an accident happens.
Requirement 1: safe construction
One requirement is to construct electrical systems in a way that prevents danger.
This can include:
suitable design
correct installation
protection from adverse environments where needed
Adverse environments could include damp areas, heat, dust, vibration or outdoor conditions if relevant to the workplace.
Requirement 2: safe use and limits
Another requirement is that electrical equipment must not be used where its capability may be exceeded.
Examples include:
overloading equipment
using the wrong rating
using equipment in unsuitable conditions
Link capability to current rating, voltage rating, duty, and environment. Unsafe use can make even correctly designed equipment dangerous.
Other important electrical duties
The law also requires systems to be kept safe by:
maintaining electrical systems in a safe condition
insulating conductors
earthing conductors that may become charged
providing protection from excess current
carrying out electrical work in a way that prevents danger
This slide broadens understanding, but the teacher can still remind students that exam questions may only ask for any two valid requirements.
Competence and supervision
Employers must ensure that only people who are fully trained or properly supervised carry out work on electrical systems.
Stress that lack of competence is itself a safety risk. This connects the Electricity at Work Act to employer responsibilities later in the lesson.
Electricity at Work Act
Other type of legislation
Insulating conductors
Construct electrical systems in a way that prevents danger
Electrical equipment must not be used where its capability may be exceeded
Suitable design
Earthing conductors that may become charged
Providing protection from excess current
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
What is the main aim of the Electricity at Work Act?
To prevent danger
To reduce costs
To speed up repairs
To increase output
Distractors are workplace priorities that are not the legal aim. The key phrase taught on slides 3 to 7 is preventing danger from electrical systems.
Complete the summary
Electrical systems must be constructed in a way that prevents danger. Equipment must not be used where its capability may be exceeded. Employers must also ensure workers are fully trained or properly supervised when working on electrical systems.
This summarises the core points from the first subtopic: safe construction, safe limits of use, and competence or supervision.
Which two electrical duties seem most important in a workshop?
Expected answer elements: any two valid Electricity at Work Act requirements taught in slides 4 to 7, such as construct systems to prevent danger; do not use equipment beyond its capability; maintain systems in a safe condition; insulate conductors; earth conductors that may become charged; provide protection from excess current; ensure work is carried out safely; ensure workers are trained or supervised.
What is RIDDOR?
RIDDOR stands for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations.
It requires certain serious workplace incidents to be formally reported.
Students do not need a full legal procedure here; the key point is recognising the kinds of incidents that must be reported.
Reportable incident 1
One type of safety incident that must be reported under RIDDOR is:
accidents that cause deaths
Keep this very clear and direct. This is one of the simplest correct answers students can give.
Reportable incident 2
Another type of safety incident that must be reported under RIDDOR is:
accidents that cause serious injuries
If needed, mention that other valid answers include dangerous occurrences and diagnosed industrial diseases.
Other incidents covered by RIDDOR
RIDDOR also covers:
diagnosed cases of certain industrial diseases
dangerous occurrences
These are serious events or conditions linked to work.
Do not overload this slide with legal detail. The goal is recognition of valid categories rather than memorising reporting thresholds.
Which incident must be reported under RIDDOR?
Select 2 Answers
A noisy machine
A damaged toolbox
Accidents that serious injury
Accidents that cause deaths
The correct answer matches the taught category 'accidents that cause serious injuries'. Other taught reportable categories include deaths, dangerous occurrences and certain industrial diseases.
Which incident must be reported under RIDDOR?
Select 2 Answers
Diagnosed cases of certain industrial diseases
A damaged toolbox
A noisy machine
Dangerous occurrences
The correct answer matches the taught category 'accidents that cause serious injuries'. Other taught reportable categories include deaths, dangerous occurrences and certain industrial diseases.
Complete the RIDDOR summary
RIDDOR requires certain serious workplace incidents to be reported. These include accidents that cause deaths, accidents that cause serious injuries, and dangerous occurrences.
All three blanks are load-bearing terms from slides 8 to 11.
Employer responsibility: safe workplace
A key employer responsibility is to provide a safe working environment for staff and visitors.
In engineering, this means controlling risks from electricity, machinery, tools, materials and movement around the site.
This is one of the two explanation-style responsibilities requested. Encourage precise wording: not just 'keep people safe' but 'provide a safe working environment'.
What a safe workplace includes
A safe working environment may include:
machine guards
safe walkways and clear access
fire extinguishers
evacuation procedures
suitable toilet and welfare facilities
Tie examples back to prevention of injury, fire response, hygiene, and safe movement in the workplace.
Employer responsibility: risk assessment
Another responsibility is to carry out risk assessments to identify and reduce potential sources of harm.
This helps employers find hazards before someone is injured.
Make clear that risk assessment is proactive, not something done only after an accident.
From hazard to control
Hazard identified → risk considered → control measure chosen
Examples:
exposed cable → electric shock risk → repair or isolate
unguarded machine part → entanglement risk → fit a guard
poor lighting → work error risk → improve lighting
This slide links employer responsibility to practical engineering examples and echoes the earlier point about adequate space, access and lighting.
Training and competence
Employers are also responsible for providing appropriate training so employees are competent.
This supports safe working, especially when using electrical systems, machines and workshop equipment.
This intentionally reinforces the earlier legal idea of competence and supervision under electrical safety law.
Which action best shows an employer doing a risk assessment?
Ignoring a hazard
Waiting for injury
Finding and reducing harm
Removing all training
This checks understanding that risk assessment is proactive: identify hazards and reduce potential sources of harm before someone is injured.
Complete the employer responsibilities summary
Employers should provide a safe working environment for staff and visitors. They should carry out risk assessments to identify hazards and choose a control measure. They should also provide appropriate training so workers are competent.
This echoes the wording on slides 12 to 16 and reinforces the sequence from hazard to control.
RIDDOR
Health and safety responsibilities of employers
Evacuation procedures
Provide fire extinguishers
Dangerous occurrences
Accidents that cause deaths
Accidents that cause serious injuries
Diagnosed cases of certain industrial diseases
Provide machine guards
Safe walkways and clear access
Provide a safe working environment for staff and visitor
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
How does one employer duty reduce harm in engineering?
Expected answer elements: one clear employer responsibility other than reporting, plus a brief explanation of how it protects people in an engineering workplace. Strong answers may mention safe environment, risk assessments, training, guards, fire procedures, welfare facilities or clear access.
What is one thing you will remember from this lesson?
Reflection prompt with no correct answer. Invite students to name one clear takeaway, such as a duty under the Electricity at Work Act, a RIDDOR category, or an employer responsibility.
What helped you understand this topic best today?
Reflection prompt with no correct answer. Encourage students to comment on whether examples, definitions, or the hazard-to-control chain helped most.
Glossary
Electricity at Work Act - Law requiring electrical systems and work activities to be managed so danger is prevented.
RIDDOR - Rules requiring certain workplace injuries, diseases, deaths and dangerous occurrences to be reported.
electrical system - Equipment, wiring and parts used to generate, carry or use electricity.
conductor - A material or part that allows electric current to flow.
insulation - Material used to stop electricity passing where it should not.
earthing - Connecting parts to earth so dangerous charge can safely flow away.
excess current - More current than a circuit or device is designed to carry.
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
Glossary
risk assessment - A check of hazards, risks and control measures in a workplace.
hazard - Something with the potential to cause harm.
control measure - An action or feature used to reduce risk.
competent - Having the training, knowledge and skill to do work safely.
dangerous occurrence - A serious near miss or specified dangerous event that must be reported.
machine guard - A protective barrier that helps prevent contact with moving parts.
safe working environment - A workplace arranged and managed to reduce risks to staff and visitors.
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
