Insurance News Archive

Businesses urged to attend to electrical risk

Almost three quarters of employees are potentially at risk from exposure to electricity in the workplace.

Conducted by Zurich Risk Services, a survey shows that 18 per cent of companies are not familiar with the Electricity at Work (EAW) regulations, though 95 per cent of respondents believe their company is adequately protected.

Consequently, one in six businesses have affirmed that their employees have suffered an electrical shock at their premises, a level of incidence which might impact upon commercial property insurance premiums.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the failure of businesses to operate a maintenance programme can be costly, with six per cent of businesses saying they have had a claim made against them.

Phil Moore, head of engineering at Zurich, said: "Businesses need to ensure they are 100 per cent up-to-speed with the details of the regulations as they are potentially putting their employees' safety at risk and bringing additional cost to their bottom line."

To comply with the EAW regulations, employers are required to design, install and maintain their electrical systems in a safe condition.

25 Sep 2006