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August 11, 2015

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PAT testing at the RNC

Electrical safety test instrumentation firm Seaward Electronic has revealed how the Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) is using its electrical testing technology to verify the safety of all electrical equipment and appliances used by teaching staff and students at its Hereford campus.

The specialist Apollo 500 tester is used by an in-house technical support team as the focal point of a formal portable appliance testing and planned preventative maintenance programme, as part of the residential college’s health and safety policies, say Seaward.

The technical support team manages RNC’s IT network infrastructure including the provision of all laptops, PCs, monitors, printers, scanners, audio equipment and peripherals – and all associated cabling – used across the site’s teaching facilities.

The company explain that the Seaward Apollo 500 is used to verify the safety of newly purchased electrical items before they are put into service and also on any equipment that is being returned to use after repair or maintenance. Additionally, they say that regular periodic inspection and testing is carried out in the lecture rooms to identify any equipment showing signs of misuse, faults or damage, with test intervals being determined by the specific class of the electrical equipment being used and their patterns of use.

Seaward describe the Apollo 500 as a compact and lightweight unit, incorporating all the recommended safety tests for portable electrical appliances in line with the IET 4th Edition Code of Practice, they say. These include point to point testing of fixed equipment and the testing of extension leads, power cords and RCDs.

At the College around 1,000 items of equipment are tested each year, with the results being stored in a central database for accurate record keeping and traceability of test histories for individual items of equipment, say Seaward.

The firm also adds that the Apollo 500 has a large internal memory, which supports the data handling need, by allowing stored test records to be transferred via a USB link or downloaded directly to PCs or smartphones using Bluetooth connectivity.

Andy Powell, technical support manager at RNC explained: “With such a vast range of electrical equipment in use and many items which can be moved between rooms, offices and studios, our PAT testing programme forms a vital part of our ability to provide an electrically safe working environment for our students.”

RNC is the leading college for those aged 16 and over with visual impairments, helping over 120 students each year into further and higher education, the world of work and independent living.

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