Office electrical safety and maintenance tips that can save your business money

Even though your office electrical safety and maintenance work should always be carried out by a licensed professional, there are a few simple office electrical safety and maintenance procedures you can follow to avoid costly repairs and problems down the track.

We talk to Malcolm Richards, CEO of Master Electricians, about the office electrical safety and maintenance procedures you can put in place right now to save money.

Test and tag equipment

The backbone of any office electrical safety and maintenance program is testing and tagging. This involves a qualified professional, preferably an electrician, coming into your workplace once or twice a year to make sure all appliances and leads are in good working order.

"This is an essential part of your obligation to provide a safe workplace for your employees, and may also prevent costly electrical faults," says Malcolm.

"The office electrical safety and maintenance requirements vary in each state, but the norm is to check your power boards and leads every 12 months, and your kitchen appliances, like kettles and toasters, every six months."

Office electrical safety and maintenance: Analyse your business electricity grid

The next thing to do is sit down and analyse how you use your leads and power boards, and work out if you can do things more efficiently.

"If you must use extension leads and power boards, check that there's a nice tight connection between the plugs and the sockets," says Malcolm. "Often the $5 power boards only last a few years and the connections inside them get a bit soft, so you want to make sure those connections remain firm, or you'll risk overheating and fire."

Office electrical safety and maintenance: Perform a visual maintenance check

Regularly check for damaged or compromised equipment. This includes:

• Cracked sockets or plugs
• Burn marks on leads
• Leads that are kinked or ripped
• Equipment that's being used inappropriately

Promptly label and remove any of these items from service.

Office electrical safety and maintenance: Feel the heat with electric equipment

Heat is an indication that there may be a problem, says Malcolm. 

"Normal black transformers do operate with a bit of heat in them. But if anything gets too hot to touch, or you feel heat out of a normal plug and socket, either replace the power point or power board, or call an electrician to get to the source of the problem."

Office electrical safety and maintenance: Light on productivity 

Don't neglect your lighting; blown or dim bulbs affect staff productivity, which in turn affects your bottom line.

"Fluorescent bulbs do get dull over time, and if lighting is critical in the workplace, don't wait for it to blow before replacing it," says Malcolm. "Consider replacing bulbs at a predetermined time."

A stitch in time saves nine

By putting in place an electrical maintenance program, you'll not only reduce the likelihood of costly repairs in the future, but also increase employee safety and productivity.

Consult an electrical contractor today about the things you can do to maintain your valuable electrical assets.