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CH191-Electrical Safety and Maintenance Policy

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Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

Electrical Safety and Maintenance Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that {{org_field_name}} manages electrical safety and electrical maintenance within the registered care home premises in a safe, effective, and legally compliant way. This policy covers fixed electrical installations, portable electrical appliances, electrical care equipment, resident-owned electrical items used within the home, emergency electrical arrangements, contractor controls, inspection, testing, maintenance, reporting and record keeping.

{{org_field_name}} recognises that unsafe electrical systems or equipment can cause electric shock, burns, fire, injury, avoidable harm or death. The service will therefore ensure that electrical installations and equipment are suitable for their intended purpose, properly used, properly maintained, clean where applicable, stored safely, and checked in line with risk assessment, manufacturer’s guidance, competent professional advice and statutory requirements.

This policy supports compliance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, including Regulation 12 Safe Care and Treatment, Regulation 15 Premises and Equipment, Regulation 17 Good Governance and Regulation 18 Staffing, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 where electrical lifting equipment is used, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, RIDDOR 2013, and relevant HSE, CQC, Home Office and MHRA guidance.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all areas of the care home premises operated by {{org_field_name}}, including bedrooms, communal areas, bathrooms, sluices, kitchens, laundry areas, treatment or clinical rooms, offices, staff areas, plant rooms, external areas, outbuildings and any other area used in connection with the regulated activity.

This policy applies to all employees, agency workers, volunteers, students, contractors, visiting professionals and any other person who uses, maintains, inspects, tests, installs or repairs electrical equipment or systems within the care home.

The policy covers:

3. Related Policies

4. Policy Statement and Regulatory Context

{{org_field_name}} is committed to providing a safe, well-maintained and fit-for-purpose care home environment. Electrical safety is managed as part of the provider’s overall duty to protect residents, staff, visitors and others from avoidable harm.

The service will ensure that all premises and equipment used for the delivery of regulated activity are clean, secure, suitable for the purpose for which they are used, properly used, properly maintained and appropriately located. Electrical equipment used for care and treatment will be safe for use, available in sufficient quantity where supplied by the service, maintained in accordance with risk assessment and manufacturer guidance, and used only by staff who have received appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision.

Electrical risks will be assessed, monitored and reviewed through the home’s health and safety arrangements, environmental risk assessments, maintenance checks, fire risk assessment, equipment servicing schedules, incident reporting, audits and management review. Records will be accurate, complete, up to date and available for inspection by CQC, enforcing authorities and relevant commissioners.

Where electrical equipment is also work equipment, medical equipment or lifting equipment, {{org_field_name}} will apply the relevant requirements of PUWER, LOLER, MHRA guidance and manufacturer instructions. Where an electrical issue creates a fire risk, safeguarding risk, business continuity risk, or risk of unsafe care or treatment, this will be escalated immediately to the Registered Manager or nominated responsible person.

5. Key Principles and Implementation

Electrical Equipment Owned, Leased, Hired or Supplied by the Service

{{org_field_name}} will maintain an up-to-date inventory of electrical equipment owned, leased, hired or supplied by the service. The inventory will include the equipment description, asset number where applicable, location, manufacturer, model, serial number where available, date of purchase or receipt, risk category, inspection frequency, test frequency where testing is required, servicing requirements, warranty details, repair history and date of next inspection or service.

Electrical equipment will be selected and used only where it is suitable for its intended purpose, compatible with the environment in which it will be used, and appropriate for the needs and safety of residents. Equipment must be used in accordance with manufacturer instructions and any relevant risk assessment.

Portable appliance testing, where required, will be carried out on a risk-based basis by a competent person. The frequency of testing will be determined by the type of equipment, the environment in which it is used, how often it is moved, the likelihood of damage, manufacturer guidance, previous defects, incident history and competent advice. Visual checks and formal visual inspections will form part of the maintenance regime, as PAT testing alone may not identify all defects.

Any equipment found to be defective, damaged, overheating, sparking, giving off a burning smell, tripping electrical protection, exposing wires, having a damaged plug or cable, or otherwise suspected to be unsafe must be taken out of use immediately where safe to do so, labelled “Do Not Use”, isolated from residents and staff, reported to the person in charge and recorded on the maintenance or defect system. The equipment must not be returned to use until repaired, tested where appropriate, and confirmed safe by a competent person.

Resident-Owned Electrical Equipment

Residents may bring personal electrical items into the care home, subject to safety checks and reasonable risk management. This may include televisions, radios, lamps, mobile phone chargers, tablets, electric razors, hairdryers, fans, small kitchen-type appliances where permitted, or other personal items.

On admission, and whenever a new electrical item is brought into the home, staff must ask the resident or their representative to inform the home so that the item can be visually checked and, where the risk assessment requires it, inspected or tested by a competent person before use.

Resident-owned equipment must not be used if it appears damaged, unsuitable, excessively old, modified, unsafe, subject to a product recall, or incompatible with the electrical system or the resident’s care needs. Unsafe items must be discussed sensitively with the resident and/or representative, removed from use where necessary, recorded, and stored or returned in line with the resident’s rights, consent, capacity and best interests where applicable.

Extension leads, multi-plug adapters, portable heaters, electric blankets, chargers, lithium battery devices and high-load appliances must be subject to additional risk assessment because of the increased risk of overheating, fire, burns or electrical overload. The home will not permit the use of equipment that creates an unacceptable risk to residents, staff, visitors or the premises.

Residents’ choices will be respected wherever possible, but safety requirements under health and safety law, fire safety law and CQC regulations will take priority where an item presents a risk of avoidable harm.

Fixed Electrical Installations and Electrical Installation Condition Reports

The fixed electrical installation of the care home, including distribution boards, circuits, sockets, switches, lighting, residual current devices, hard-wired equipment, plant and associated systems, will be inspected, tested and maintained by a competent electrical contractor at intervals determined by legislation, British Standards, competent advice, the type of premises, risk assessment and previous inspection findings.

The service will hold a current Electrical Installation Condition Report or equivalent competent inspection report for the premises and will ensure that remedial actions are completed within the timescales recommended by the competent person. Any observation coded as requiring urgent action must be escalated immediately to the Registered Manager, provider or nominated responsible person and made safe without delay.

The Registered Manager or nominated maintenance lead will ensure that electrical cupboards, plant rooms and distribution boards are kept secure, accessible to authorised persons, free from inappropriate storage, and clearly labelled where required. Access to electrical intake rooms, plant rooms and distribution boards must not be obstructed.

Staff must report any signs of fixed installation problems immediately, including flickering lights, damaged sockets, loose switches, repeated tripping, burning smells, scorch marks, buzzing sounds, exposed wiring, water ingress near electrical systems or any other suspected defect.

Electrical Care Equipment and Medical Devices

Electrical equipment used to deliver care or treatment, including electric profiling beds, pressure-relieving mattresses, hoists, stand aids, charging units, nebulisers, oxygen concentrators, suction equipment, monitoring devices, nurse call equipment and other medical or care devices, must be safe, suitable, maintained and used in accordance with manufacturer instructions, risk assessment and the resident’s care plan.

Where equipment is a medical device, the home will follow relevant MHRA guidance on managing medical devices, including clear responsibility for acquisition, acceptance checks, maintenance, servicing, repair, decontamination where applicable, user training, adverse incident reporting and safe disposal.

Where electrical equipment is also work equipment, the requirements of PUWER will apply. Where lifting equipment is used to lift people, LOLER requirements will apply, including thorough examination by a competent person at required intervals or in accordance with a written examination scheme. HSE guidance confirms that health and social care equipment such as hoists, electric profiling beds and medical equipment may fall within PUWER when used by employees at work. HSE guidance also states that lifting equipment used to lift people must be thoroughly examined at six-monthly intervals or in accordance with an examination scheme.

Staff must not use electrical care equipment unless they have been trained and assessed as competent to do so. Pre-use checks must be completed where required, including checks of cables, plugs, controls, batteries, chargers, handset operation, brakes, moving parts, warning lights, alarms and any safety features. Any defect must be reported immediately and the equipment removed from use where safe and practicable.

Risk Assessments, Environmental Safety and Care Planning

Electrical safety will be included in the home’s environmental risk assessments, fire risk assessment, health and safety audits, individual resident risk assessments and care plans where relevant.

Individual risk assessments must be completed where a resident uses electrical equipment as part of their care or daily living, particularly where the resident may be at increased risk due to cognitive impairment, reduced mobility, sensory impairment, mental health needs, learning disability, autism, behaviours of concern, oxygen use, pressure care needs, continence needs, falls risk, or reduced ability to recognise or report danger.

Risk assessments must consider, where relevant: safe positioning of equipment; trailing cables; trip hazards; access to sockets; risk of burns; risk of entrapment; compatibility between beds, mattresses, bed rails and accessories; safe charging of batteries; water and electricity risks; use of oxygen or emollients; safe storage; infection prevention; fire risk; evacuation implications; and whether the resident can safely operate the equipment.

Control measures must be recorded in the resident’s care plan and communicated to staff. Risk assessments must be reviewed following any incident, near miss, equipment fault, change in resident need, change in equipment, environmental change, manufacturer alert, product recall, safeguarding concern or professional advice.

Maintenance, Repairs and Contractor Control

Electrical maintenance and repairs must only be carried out by competent persons with the appropriate skills, qualifications, registration, insurance and authority to undertake the work. Staff must not attempt electrical repairs unless this forms part of their role, they are competent to do so, and the work has been authorised.

{{org_field_name}} will use competent electrical contractors, such as NICEIC, ECA, NAPIT or similarly accredited contractors, for electrical installation, inspection, testing and repair work where appropriate. Contractor competence, identity, insurance and risk assessments or method statements will be checked before work begins.

Contractors must sign in and out, comply with the home’s contractor management arrangements, protect residents from work-related hazards, maintain safe access and egress, avoid leaving tools or live equipment unattended, and ensure that any area affected by the work is left safe. Where work could affect fire safety, call bells, lighting, heating, medical equipment, kitchen equipment, laundry equipment, security systems or resident safety, the Registered Manager or person in charge must approve arrangements before work starts.

Planned preventative maintenance schedules will be maintained for fixed electrical systems, portable appliances, emergency lighting, fire alarm interfaces, nurse call systems, lifts, hoists, electric profiling beds, pressure-relieving equipment, kitchen equipment, laundry equipment and other relevant electrical systems. Reactive repairs will be prioritised according to risk. High-risk defects must be made safe immediately.

Staff Training, Competence and Awareness

All staff will receive electrical safety awareness appropriate to their role during induction and through refresher training, supervision, toolbox talks or competency checks where required. Training will include how to identify common electrical hazards, safe use of plugs, sockets, chargers and extension leads, safe charging practices, reporting procedures, emergency action, and the importance of not using damaged or suspect equipment.

Staff who use electrical care equipment must receive equipment-specific training and be assessed as competent before using the equipment without direct supervision. This includes, where relevant, electric profiling beds, pressure-relieving systems, hoists, stand aids, charging units, nurse call systems, oxygen concentrators, nebulisers and other care or medical equipment.

Agency workers, bank staff and new staff must receive local orientation on key electrical safety arrangements, including the location of emergency call systems, how to report defects, what equipment they may or may not use, and who to contact in an emergency.

Staff must be reminded that they must not overload sockets, daisy-chain extension leads, use personal electrical items at work unless authorised, cover chargers or adapters, run cables where they create trip or entanglement risks, use electrical equipment near water unless designed for that purpose, or ignore signs of overheating, burning, sparks, unusual noises or repeated tripping.

Incident Reporting, Statutory Notifications and Learning

Electrical incidents, defects, hazards and near misses must be reported immediately through the home’s incident reporting and maintenance systems. This includes electric shock, burns, fire, smoke, sparks, overheating, damaged wiring, exposed conductors, repeated electrical tripping, equipment failure during care, unsafe resident-owned appliances, unsafe contractor work, power failure affecting care delivery, or any situation where electrical safety may have contributed to harm or risk of harm.

The person in charge must take immediate action to make the situation safe, protect residents, arrange medical attention where required, isolate equipment where safe to do so, preserve relevant evidence where appropriate, and escalate to the Registered Manager or nominated senior manager.

The Registered Manager will consider whether the incident requires notification to CQC, reporting under RIDDOR, referral to the local authority safeguarding team, notification to commissioners, reporting to the fire and rescue service, reporting to the equipment manufacturer or supplier, or reporting to MHRA where a medical device is involved. RIDDOR reporting must be considered where a work-related accident results in death, specified injury, over-seven-day incapacity or another reportable event.

All significant electrical incidents will be investigated proportionately. The investigation will identify immediate causes, root causes, contributory factors, learning, remedial action, persons responsible and completion timescales. Lessons learned will be shared with staff and used to update risk assessments, care plans, maintenance schedules, training and this policy.

Purchase, Acceptance and Introduction of Electrical Equipment

Electrical equipment purchased, leased, hired, donated or otherwise introduced into the home must be approved before use. The Registered Manager or delegated responsible person must ensure that equipment is suitable for the intended use, appropriate for the resident group and care environment, supplied with manufacturer instructions, compliant with relevant UK requirements, and supported by servicing, maintenance and warranty arrangements where required.

New or replacement equipment must be subject to acceptance checks before use. These checks may include visual inspection, confirmation of accessories, review of manufacturer instructions, electrical safety check where required, infection prevention requirements, servicing requirements, staff training needs, care plan implications and whether the equipment must be added to the asset register.

Where equipment is introduced for an individual resident, the resident’s care plan and risk assessment must be updated before use or as soon as practicable. Staff must be informed of any special instructions, restrictions, cleaning requirements, safety alerts, charging arrangements or emergency procedures.

The home will monitor product safety alerts, manufacturer notices and recalls where relevant. Equipment subject to a safety alert or recall must be assessed promptly, removed from use where required, and managed in line with manufacturer, supplier, MHRA or other competent advice.

Cleaning, Infection Prevention and Electrical Safety

Electrical equipment must be cleaned and decontaminated in line with manufacturer instructions, infection prevention procedures and the resident’s care needs. Staff must ensure that cleaning does not create electrical risk. Electrical equipment must not be immersed in water unless specifically designed for that purpose, and liquids must not be sprayed directly onto plugs, sockets, chargers, motors, handsets or electrical controls.

Equipment shared between residents must be cleaned between uses where required. Equipment contaminated with blood, body fluids or other infectious material must be managed in line with the Infection Prevention and Control Policy and manufacturer guidance.

Staff must check that equipment is dry and safe before use. Any equipment damaged during cleaning or suspected of water ingress must be removed from use and reported immediately.

Documentation, Records and Evidence of Compliance

{{org_field_name}} will maintain accurate, complete and up-to-date records to demonstrate effective management of electrical safety. Records may be held electronically or on paper but must be accessible, secure and available for inspection.

Records will include, where applicable:

Records will be reviewed as part of the home’s governance arrangements to identify trends, recurring defects, overdue servicing, repeated equipment failure, training gaps and opportunities for improvement.

Fire Safety, Emergency Lighting and Power Failure Arrangements

Electrical safety will be considered as part of the home’s fire risk assessment and fire safety management arrangements. Electrical faults, overloaded sockets, unsafe chargers, damaged appliances, inappropriate use of extension leads, portable heaters, laundry equipment, kitchen equipment, plant rooms and resident-owned electrical items must be managed as potential fire risks.

Emergency lighting, fire alarms, call systems and other safety-critical electrical systems must be inspected, tested and maintained in line with competent advice, relevant standards, manufacturer guidance and the Fire Safety Policy. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to fire safety duties, and government guidance for residential care premises supports responsible persons in completing suitable fire risk assessments for care premises.

The home will maintain contingency arrangements for power failure, including how staff will maintain resident safety, operate call bell alternatives, support residents who rely on electrical care equipment, maintain safe lighting, communicate with emergency services, contact utility providers, access emergency equipment and escalate to senior management.

Residents who rely on electrically powered equipment for health or safety reasons must have individual contingency arrangements recorded in their care plan. This may include battery back-up, alternative equipment, manual alternatives, increased observation, relocation within the home, emergency contact arrangements or transfer to another setting if required.

Safe Charging of Electrical and Battery-Powered Equipment

Battery-powered equipment must be charged safely and in accordance with manufacturer instructions. Chargers must be suitable for the equipment, undamaged, not covered during use, and disconnected when no longer required unless the manufacturer states otherwise.

Mobility scooters, powered wheelchairs, tablets, mobile phones, laptops, cordless equipment, rechargeable care equipment and lithium battery devices must be charged only in agreed safe locations following risk assessment. Charging must not obstruct escape routes, create trip hazards, overload sockets, or take place near combustible materials unless risk assessed as safe.

Staff must report swelling batteries, overheating, unusual smells, damaged chargers, slow charging, sparks, exposed cables or any other signs of battery failure immediately. Suspected unsafe batteries or chargers must be removed from use where safe and escalated to the person in charge.

Sockets, Extension Leads and Adapters

Electrical sockets, extension leads and adapters must be used safely and must not be overloaded. Multi-plug adapters and daisy-chained extension leads must not be used. Extension leads must only be used where necessary, risk assessed, suitable for the load, positioned to prevent trip or entanglement risks, and not used as a permanent substitute for adequate fixed socket provision.

High-load equipment, including heaters, kettles, microwaves, tumble dryers, washing machines and similar appliances, must not be connected through unsuitable extension leads or adapters. Where additional sockets are required, the Registered Manager must seek advice from a competent electrician.

Any damaged socket, loose faceplate, scorch mark, buzzing sound, burning smell or repeated tripping must be reported immediately and the area made safe.

6. Roles and Responsibilities

Provider / Nominated Individual

The provider or nominated individual is responsible for ensuring that sufficient resources, systems and oversight are in place to manage electrical safety effectively. This includes ensuring that the home has access to competent contractors, suitable maintenance arrangements, appropriate equipment, effective governance systems and timely action to address risks.

Registered Manager

The Registered Manager has day-to-day accountability for implementation of this policy. The Registered Manager must ensure that electrical risks are assessed, maintenance and testing schedules are monitored, defects are acted on, staff are trained, equipment records are maintained, incidents are investigated, and statutory notifications or reports are made where required.

Maintenance Lead / Responsible Person for Premises

The maintenance lead or delegated responsible person must coordinate routine checks, planned maintenance, contractor visits, defect reporting, remedial works, record keeping and escalation of overdue or high-risk actions. They must ensure that unsafe equipment or installations are taken out of use or made safe pending repair.

Senior Staff / Person in Charge

The person in charge of each shift must respond promptly to reported electrical hazards, ensure immediate safety actions are taken, escalate concerns, and record defects or incidents in accordance with this policy.

All Staff

All staff are responsible for using electrical equipment safely, completing pre-use checks where required, following training and manufacturer instructions, not using equipment they are not competent to use, reporting hazards immediately, and taking unsafe equipment out of use where safe to do so.

Contractors

Contractors must be competent, authorised and compliant with the home’s contractor procedures. They must work safely, protect residents and staff, report any additional risks identified, provide documentation for work completed, and confirm whether equipment or installations are safe to use before leaving the premises.

7. Governance, Audit and Quality Assurance

Electrical safety will be monitored through the home’s governance and quality assurance systems. The Registered Manager or delegated responsible person will review electrical safety information at agreed intervals, including maintenance schedules, overdue actions, inspection reports, incidents, near misses, defects, contractor performance, staff training, resident-owned appliance issues and audit findings.

Electrical safety audits will be completed at a frequency determined by risk and governance arrangements. Audits will check whether equipment records are accurate, inspections and services are completed on time, remedial works are closed, staff understand reporting procedures, resident-owned appliances are managed safely, and care plans include relevant electrical equipment risks.

Where shortfalls are identified, an action plan will be created. The action plan will state the required action, responsible person, priority level, completion date and evidence required to confirm completion. High-risk actions must be escalated to the provider or nominated individual.

8. Business Continuity and Emergency Response

The home will maintain business continuity arrangements for electrical failure, including loss of power, failure of essential care equipment, failure of call bell systems, failure of lighting, failure of heating or cooling systems, and failure of safety-critical equipment.

Staff must know how to respond to power loss, including how to contact the electricity supplier, emergency services, senior managers, maintenance contractors and relevant health professionals. Emergency arrangements must include how to support residents who rely on powered equipment and how to maintain safe staffing, observation, communication, lighting, warmth, hydration, nutrition, medicines storage and evacuation arrangements where affected.

Emergency drills, scenario discussions or tabletop exercises should include electrical failure where this is a realistic risk to resident safety. Learning from exercises or real incidents must be used to update this policy, risk assessments and the Business Continuity Plan.

9. Equality, Mental Capacity and Resident Choice

Electrical safety arrangements must be applied in a way that respects residents’ dignity, privacy, independence, rights and choices. Where a resident wishes to use personal electrical equipment, the home will support this wherever it is safe and reasonable to do so.

Where a resident lacks capacity to understand a specific electrical safety risk, staff must follow the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and make any decision in the resident’s best interests, involving the resident as far as possible and consulting representatives, family members or advocates where appropriate.

Any restriction on a resident’s use of electrical equipment must be necessary, proportionate, risk assessed, recorded and reviewed. The reason for the restriction and any less restrictive alternatives considered must be documented.

10. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually or sooner if there is a change in legislation, CQC guidance, HSE guidance, fire safety guidance, MHRA guidance, organisational structure, premises arrangements, equipment used in the home, serious incident, safeguarding concern, enforcement action, audit finding, product recall or identified learning.

Updates will be communicated to relevant staff, and additional training or competency checks will be completed where changes affect staff responsibilities or resident safety.updates and provided with additional training where appropriate.

Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
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