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Electricity is important for every business to operate smoothly and without disruptions. It enables you to operate machinery, light up your property, and conduct simple day-to-day operations.
It is such a huge part of our lives that we sometimes take it for granted, and it is only when there is a fault in the supply of electricity that we realise how truly dependent we are on it.
It also makes us realise how dangerous electricity can be. Ask someone who’s received an electric shock and they’ll tell you how nasty they can be.
These faults can arise due to a number of reasons and may require you to seek the help of a professional service that specialises in the field.
We, at Calder Electrical, offer electric commercial call out services for any issues you may be facing and are equipped to rectify them in the least possible time while causing minimal disruption to your business.
Read on to find out more about electric commercial call out services, what is involved in them, the different types, electrical emergencies at work, how to prevent them from occurring, and much more:
Electric commercial call out services refer to seeking the help of a certified professional in case of any electricity-related issues in your office or commercial premises.
From circuits tripping, loss of power, and broken items that need repairing to checking your electrical system for any safety hazards and risks, a call out service can be used to rectify and solve any such problems.
Electrical faults can not only be extremely inconvenient but also very dangerous. If left unchecked and untreated, they can turn into serious safety risks.
A professional electrician is trained to carry out a variety of tasks and deal with electrical emergencies, such as faults in the wiring or installations.
Therefore, if you are experiencing an electrical emergency that could put you, your employees, or your property at risk, it is best to opt for electric commercial call out services that offer a minimal response time and try to fix the issue in as little time as possible.
An office or commercial space, like any other property, is dependent on electricity to operate. Regardless of how much you have spent on setting up the space, it is extremely important that your electrical wiring and installations are properly installed and well-maintained.
Sadly, electrical hazards contribute greatly to workplace accidents and can be detrimental to safety as well as productivity.
These issues may occur due to a number of reasons such as exposed wiring, short circuits, and circuits overloading.
An electric commercial call out can be for a number of reasons, most of which are urgent in nature. Some of the most common electrical emergencies include:
Equipment and appliances in offices and commercial spaces are usually overworked since a large number of people use them. Due to overburdening and lack of maintenance, they usually go out with a bang or spark that can not only damage the wiring but also turn into a fire hazard.
If you notice any signs of faulty equipment, you should get it, and the outlet that it is connected to, checked immediately before it develops into something serious.
Grounding, or earthing, refers to the process of connecting the electrical wiring with the earth’s conductive surface in order to redirect the excess current from the electrical system into the ground.
This is extremely important for safety as it prevents short circuits and electrical fires. In the absence of proper grounding, there is a higher risk of electrocution and other electrical accidents.
Power surges can be caused by a number of things such as lightning strikes, damaged power lines, faulty appliances, and faulty wiring on your property.
While these power surges last less than a second, frequent power surges can be detrimental to your electrical appliances and components and can significantly reduce their life.
If you experience frequent power surges, the culprit is probably an appliance or the wiring itself. To be sure, it is best to consult with a professional and get the issue fixed quickly.
High-wattage appliances such as computers and photocopiers can cause the circuit breakers to trip, especially when other appliances are also consuming power from the same source.
A circuit breaker’s job is to cut the power when the system gets overloaded. Therefore, by tripping, it is merely doing its job. The issue arises when it happens too frequently.
Try to assess what is causing the circuit breaker to trip so frequently. If it is a particular appliance, try using it at a low setting or connecting it to a different power source. Consult with a professional if the issue persists.
Since a commercial space, such as an office, has dozens of people present in it at once, there is a need for a number of sockets and power outlets for everyone to plug their devices, computers, and laptops into.
Due to improper planning, there may not be enough outlets to cover the entire office, resulting in the employees using extension cords and plugging multiple devices and appliances into the circuit.
This causes the circuit to overload and may turn into an electrical fire that may burn the wiring as well.
Exposed wiring and components may cause electrocution upon contact and can be a serious safety threat for employees, visitors, and other staff members in an office or commercial property.
It may be due to renovations or repairs, but if it is due to a fault, you need to get in touch with a professional service to get it fixed as soon as possible.
Burning wires and electrical components have a very distinct smell and you can easily tell when it happens. If you sense a burning smell coming from the sockets, walls, wires, or appliances, it is an obvious sign of an electrical emergency.
It can sometimes be difficult to identify where exactly the odour is coming from. If the smell persists or becomes stronger, it would require immediate attention.
When something like this happens, the best way to go about it is to unplug all the devices in the area and call the emergency electric call out services to have the system inspected.
Sockets, switches, and electrical panels should never be hot to touch. If they are, it means something is clearly wrong with the system and it requires immediate attention.
If you notice any changes to the electric panel, such as browning, warmth, or smoke coming out of it, it means something is smouldering inside which could potentially turn into an electrical fire if not fixed.
Power outages without an obvious reason are a serious concern, especially in commercial properties where even a little downtime can cause losses in terms of time and money.
The response for this will depend on whether the power outage affects just your property or other properties in the vicinity as well.
If it is the latter, it is usually a matter for the electricity supplier to look into. If it affects only one property, it could be due to a local fault that needs to be investigated by an electrician.
If it is due to faulty or old wiring, it may be the best time to consider having your commercial property partially or fully rewired, otherwise, you will be putting yourself and others on your property at risk.
An electrical fire is an emergency for which you should call the Fire and Rescue Services. If not contained at the right time, it can spread and cause harm to both life and property.
Once any risk to life has been eliminated, an electrician can perform an assessment to determine what caused the fire and fix it to prevent future fires.
If you own or are running a commercial property, it is very important to make sure the electrical installations are safe to use for everyone.
Electrical emergencies, such as the ones mentioned above, can happen due to a number of reasons and can be extremely harmful to your business in terms of safety and losses incurred due to downtime.
The best way to prevent such faults and issues from arising is through preventive measures in the form of regular testing and inspections.
Commercial electrical services, such as Calder Electrical, can provide you with a maintenance plan that can help you avoid many potential issues before they can manifest in some way.
This not only gives you peace of mind but also ensures that your business will suffer fewer setbacks caused by electrical malfunctions.
It can help you save on repair costs which, if you add up, can be much higher than maintenance costs. Also, electrical faults not only cost you in terms of money but also in the time lost.
Periodic electrical testing and inspections are an integral part of a commercial property’s safety as they guarantee that all the wiring and installations on the property are safe to use by everyone.
It is a requirement under The Electricity of Work Act 1989 that, as a business or commercial space, you must make sure that the electrical installations are deemed safe for use by your employees and the public.
The inability to do so, especially if there is an electricity-related incident or mishap on your premises, can land you in some serious trouble and deep lawsuits.
Commercial electrical testing and inspections are divided into:
User checks refer to routine checks done by the employees where they look for obvious visual signs such as damages to the cables, plugs, wall outlets, burn marks on the equipment, plugs, and sockets, trapped, knotted, or frayed cables, and water damage to the equipment.
Visual inspections are more thorough and require a bit of technical knowledge, at the end of which a Visual Inspection Report (VIR) is made.
They are performed by trained employees and must be done every 6 to 12 months. They include looking for damages to any part of the plug, fuses and wires connected incorrectly, exposed wiring, and discolouration of any sockets.
Detailed inspections, also known as fixed wiring testing, are more detailed than visual inspections and are done to identify any damages, defects, or deterioration that may have been missed in the initial checks.
They are typically conducted every 3 to 5 years and are carried out by trained and certified professionals who test the wiring and various circuits around the property.
The purpose of a detailed inspection is to determine whether the current electrical installations are satisfactory for continued use or not, at the end of which an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is made.
An EICR provides a detailed summary of the conditions of the electrical systems and whether they comply with the current British Standards for electrical safety or not.
In addition to recording several observations, an EICR also makes recommendations where improvements may be required for safety.
This fourth type of test is called Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) and is also carried out by a professional electrician once a year depending on the age of the equipment, how often it is used, and whether it has been misused, altered, or repaired in the past.
It is a routine inspection to test items that are not part of the fixed wiring and do not fall under the electrical testing of the premises.
Electrical appliances that have a cable and plug, can be disconnected from their power source, and can be easily moved all fall under this category.
Some common portable appliances found in commercial properties include desktops, laptops, printers, photocopiers, refrigerators, microwaves, toasters, portable heaters, table lamps, phone chargers, and extension cords.
Calder Electrical has been providing electrical services to residential, commercial, and industrial properties for over 40 years and we are specialists in all aspects of electrical installations, maintenance, and testing.
We are NICEIC registered, follow the current wiring regulations, and have experienced and fully qualified electrical engineers on hand to deliver a professional and high-quality service.
If you have unplanned issues within your home or business, we can provide a call out service to rectify and solve any problems. Anything from circuits tripping, loss of power, and broken items that need repairing, to checking for potential faults and safety hazards.
Our team can generate a Visual Inspection Report (VIR) to identify anything visual that does not comply with the standards or looks unsafe, as well as a full Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) where we identify and test each circuit to make sure they are not deteriorating and are safe for use within the current standards and regulations set by the BS 7671.
We can also provide PAT testing of appliances to make sure that any items such as kettles, computers, and microwaves are safe for use in the home and workplace.
Contact us here or call us on 0800 612 3001 to talk to our certified team of electricians right away!
