4 Preventive Maintenance Tips to Improve Electrical Safety in Your Building

26 February 2020
 Categories: , Blog

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Maintaining electrical safety in commercial and industrial buildings can be a challenging task. The nature of operations plus the number of people using the building makes it hard to stay on top of electrical maintenance and safety. This, in turn, increases the risk of electrical fires, multiple costly repairs and other dangers associated with faulty electrical wiring. If you're managing or renting the property, here are four practical preventive maintenance tips you should employ to improve electrical safety and do away with costly repairs.

Regularly Check the Amperage

Most standard circuit breakers have 20 amps. This means the breaker can handle electrical devices not exceeding 20 amperes. In a commercial setting, new electrical equipment comes in all the time. You have heating and cooling systems, microwave ovens for the kitchen, space heaters for the winter and portable fans for the summer. All these devices tend to consume a lot of power. If more than one is plugged into one circuit breaker, they can trip the breaker or suffer electrical damage.

Make a point of checking the amperage of your equipment at least once every month or every time you get new electrical equipment. If the current devices exceed the recommended amperage, you can call in an electrician to install dedicated circuits or increase the amp limit for specific breakers. 

Clean Electrical Components as Required

Electrical components and equipment require regular cleaning to get rid of clogged dirt. In addition to keeping devices clean, this process also allows you to inspect the equipment for physical signs of wear or damage. As a result, you're able to spot small repairs before they blow up and cost you a lot of money. If possible, engage an electrician once in a while for professional cleaning and inspection of electrical fixtures, components and devices.

Train Workers to Spot Faults

Employees are the people who spend the most time around electrical equipment. If something is wrong, they are probably the first people to notice or be affected. Therefore, empower them to spot electrical tests. You could organise a short electrical safety training course where they learn how to identify common electrical problems. The training will also equip them with skills on how to evacuate a building or stop an electrical fire if it occurs.

Create a Testing and Diagnostics Plan

When you're caught up in business management and other pertinent roles, it's easy to forget about electrical maintenance. That's why it's crucial to maintain a testing and diagnostics schedule. This schedule states when to have electrical testing, tune-ups and other maintenance tasks. The plan ensures faults are detected on time, and this helps enhance the functionality and safety of your equipment.

Electrical devices are indispensable in any commercial or industrial buildings. Work with a professional electrician to set up a practical maintenance schedule to enhance electrical performance and safety.

To learn more, contact a company that provides electrical maintenance services.