If you’re the nominated electrical duty holder at your place of work, you may be wondering what you need to do to keep your workplace safe.
Here’s our guide to duty holders, their responsibilities, and how Hawkesworth can help.
What is an electrical duty holder?
An electrical duty holder (also known as a duty holder) is a person who is responsible for the health and safety of a building. They need to:
- Identify health and safety risks
- Carry out risk assessments
- Implement, manage and monitor the health and safety of the building
- Keep detailed records of any work that is carried out
What is a duty holder responsible for?
One of the responsibilities of the duty holder is to make sure any electrical equipment in the building is safe for use.
Offices have a wide range of electrical equipment in use, everything from laptops and printers through to the kettles and fridges in the kitchen. It is a legal requirement that this equipment is kept in good condition.
One of the best ways to ensure your electrical equipment is kept safe is through PAT testing (also known as electrical equipment testing).
A guide to PAT testing in the office
Find out more about PAT testing and the law
What is PAT testing?
PAT testing is when electrical equipment is checked for safety. This is done through a series of visual and electrical tests.
If a piece of electrical equipment meets standards, it will be labelled and marked as safe. If it doesn’t meet standards, you will need to repair or replace it.
Find out more about PAT testing and how it is carried out
Who can be a duty holder in the workplace?
Anyone can be a duty holder in the workplace. We’ve worked with duty holders who are QHSE managers, office managers, receptionists and estate managers.
You may delegate some of your work to other people in your organisation, but you will have overall responsibility as duty holder.
As duty holder, while you are expected to know the basics of health and safety, you don’t have to have electrical knowledge or experience. If this is the case, you can appoint a responsible person.
Is a duty holder the same as a responsible person?
A responsible person (or competent person) is a person or organisation that can be appointed by a duty holder to help them stay compliant. It is the duty holder’s responsibility to make sure the responsible person (or persons) is qualified and competent.
In this scenario, Hawkesworth would be a responsible person, which would carry out PAT testing on behalf of the duty holder.
