Guides / Electrical safety

Portable electrical equipment pre-use checks

By Health Safety Courses editorial team · Occupational health and safety training editors

Before you switch on

Only use equipment you are trained and authorised to use. Confirm the tool matches the job and the supply (voltage, indoor/outdoor rating).

Cable, plug and casing

Look for cuts, crushed insulation, taped repairs, loose plug pins, cracked casings and missing screws. Do not use damaged equipment—remove it from service and report it.

RCD and environment

Where required, test that an RCD or residual-current device trips when tested. Keep leads off heat, water and vehicle routes; use cable management where people walk.

After use

Switch off, unplug by the plug not the cable, coil leads without kinks, and store tools dry. Log defects through your employer’s maintenance or PAT process.

How this fits formal inspection

Pre-use checks complement—not replace—periodic inspection, PAT and maintenance records. Align frequency and competence with your organisation’s electrical safety programme.

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