The Electricity at Work Act 1992. All electrical equipment that you use must be tested once a year by a qualified electrician. Portable appliance testing ( PAT ). It is a visual and electrical test of all equipment that has to be connected to an electrical supply, through a socket outlet, via a plug and flexible cable.

All staff must be trained in the use of electrical equipment following the manufacturers instructions. Staff must remove from use unsafe equipment and report it to the owner or person in charge. It should be clearly labeled as to the fault. (RLR) Remove, Label and Repair.

The Nail School

Fire Regulations/Protection 1971 reform order 2005. As nail technicians you will be working with flammable liquids that are volatile and could cause a fire. Electrical equipment like U.V. lamps, electric files, lamps etc. which if not maintained could be dangerous and be a contributing factor to the cause of a fire. Whether working in a salon or mobile the risk is always there and you must take precautions to minimize the risk. It is as much your responsibility as that of your employers. Every year people die or are seriously injured as a result of fires at work. It can be the end of a small business, due to compensation claims, loss of business, fines, loss of property and equipment.

Risk of fire can be avoided and minimized by basic precautions and lives can be saved by being aware of what to do in the event of a fire.

If you rent a small part of a salon then it is the owner of the property who is responsible for making sure that fire regulations are met, but it is you who are responsible to limit the risk in the area you are renting.

Fire risk assessment involves assessing the risk of fire in the workplace, checking that when a fire is detected how will people be warned and how they will leave the building safely, that there is fire fighting equipment and it is maintained, that there are regular fire drills so that staff are aware of what to do and where to go in the event of a fire.

Smoke alarms should be fitted to warn of a fire.

Fire Exits must be clearly marked and free from obstructions as must be all passageways that lead to the exits.

Fire Extinguishers as shown above:-

Water:- mainly for solids like wood, cloth, paper, plastics etc. works by cooling burning material.

Dry Powder:- Knocks down flames, best for liquids such as grease, fats , oils, paint, petrol ( do not use on fires involving chip pans )

Multi-purpose dry powder:- Knocks down flames and on burning solids, melts to from a skin smothering the fire providing some cooling effect. Best for , wood, cloth, paper, plastics, grease, fats, oils, ( do not use on fires involving chip pans )

Foam:- Forms a blanket of foam over the surface of the burning liquid and smothers the fire. Limited use, refer to manufacturers instructions for suitability of use on fires involving liquids.

Carbon Dioxide CO2:- Liquid gas which vaporises smothering the flames by displacing oxygen in the air. Best for liquids such as grease, fats, oils, paints, petrol, electrical equipment.

Water ( Red ) and C02 ( black ) are the most common extinguishers in use for salons.

All fire fighting equipment must be maintained. This is normally done under contract with a supplier. Once a year an engineer will call to test/maintain the equipment. A signed and sated record card will be next to the equipment to prove that this has been done.

Also a log should be kept as to when fire drills were undertaken. It is also a precaution to make staff sign that they have been given instructions of what to do in the event of a fire.

Precautions for the safe use of electrical equipment.

Written log sheets must be kept showing the date of testing, the Health & Safety Executive can ask to see them.

Electrical flexes should be checked for signs of wear.

Check the last date of PAT testing.

All appliances should be switched off and unplugged at the end of the day.

Electrical appliances should be kept away from water.

Faulty appliances must be removed from use and labeled clearly.

Do not overload wall sockets.

The correct fuse must be fitted to the equipment.

The equipment must be earthed and wired correctly.