Shopkeepers beware

In these recession hit times, the easiest thing to cut corners on is safety, there is a legal requirement to ensure the safety of your employees and the safety of the public, who use your premises.

Most large organisations already have in place the necessary structures to ensure compliance with Health and safety, the electricity at works act and with the building regulations.

However sadly the excuse used by a small trader of not knowing he had to, did not wash with the Judge, in a recent case, and to quote the English law maxim ( ignorance of the law is no excuse) end quote.

A member of the public came into his shop and got a shock from a piece of equipment within the premises, and reported it to the local council, after the shopkeeper denied there was anything wrong.

Upon investigation by the council they found that the main earth in the premises was not connected, and that the supplemental earthing and one of the main earth's were also not properly connected.

Furthermore, upon requesting a copy of his current periodic test certificate for the fixed wiring within the premises the shop keeper said he did not have to have one there was no law the make him do it.

They then asked for a copy of his PAT testing certification for all of the appliances within the property, to which he replied that he did not have any certificate and had never heard of it.

There answer was to issue an order to, tell him to get it rectified and another order to shut the shop until such time as the owner had done so, and rectified any faults already identified and any that may come to light during the inspection.

He refused to do so and promptly re-opened the shop a few days later without the works being carried out.

A closure notice was issued and the shop had to re-shut, the owner went shopping around to get the cheapest price for a test cert, only to get somebody with no real experience or knowledge of this type of system. ( again trying to cut corners)

Consequently, the information supplied was sub-standard and the owner tried to get away with it, to no avail, the judge passed a 2 year suspended sentence on the owner with a fine in excess of £40,000.00 plus costs, ( total bill for ignoring and trying to take the cheap way out was in excess of £55,000.00.

The owner had to sell the shop and is also banned from running a shop of this type again, this coupled with a suspended sentence, and the loss of his living for trying to save a few pounds, beggars belief, together with his total disregard for life.

The fact that he would endanger his employees, and the public to save the difference between a proper test and a cheap test is unconscionable.

The true cost of testing by a company that is not interested in getting the remedial works is between £15.00 and £20.00 per circuit depending on floor space, and also what information you already have to hand, he found somebody silly enough to do it for £6.00 per circuit, ( but it was cheap)there is always an idiot out there.

This contractor has now been closed down as well and fined in excess of £30,000.00.

He spent more on servicing his car twice a year, than protecting the life of his employees or the public.

You are legally obliged to carry out a periodic test of your electrical fixed wiring at a maximum time of five years between tests "this is the law"

Don't be foolish and put peoples lives at risk, call us today, and get the job done properly and safely, cutting corners is not an option, this man ruined his life so save a few pounds, safety is not an afterthought it is a necessity.

You are not insured without a proper certificate the insurance companies will not pay out to cover you if you do not in the eyes of the law act professionally.

For further information go to our web Site: - www. safe-electric.com  or contact us by e-mail Enquiries@safe-electric.com