Check all second hand appliances before use

Getting second-hand electrical appliances is common practice these days since new models of many electrical equipments are released every year.

Whether it is for your home or for your business, make sure you get an electrical safety check on each item before you start using it. This is really important for safety reasons, especially for businesses - since any electrical incident that happens in a workplace could be the start of a lawsuit.

If you are the one selling second-hand electrical goods, you must make certain information available to the buyers. Be aware of legal obligations under electricity safety legislation.These include:

• If it has not been tested, the supplier or person offering to supply second-hand electrical equipment must include a clear statement on the label stating the equipment is second-hand, with additional words as follows:
  • DANGER – DO NOT USE OR CONNECT TO SUPPLY – THIS SECOND-HAND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT MAY BE FAULTY AND SHOULD BE INSPECTED AND TESTED BY A COMPETENT PERSON IN ACCORDANCE WITH AS/NZS 3760.
• A person supplying or offering to supply second-hand electrical equipment must attach a label to the equipment stating that it is second-hand.

An annual electrical safety check is a must for businesses and should be practised by residential consumers as well. 

Check Your Electrical Appliances

Make sure you take all necessary precautions such as turning off your power source before you conduct a quick electrical check. A quick check would consist of:

1. Check the cord - If there are signs of fraying stop using immediately.
2. Overloading a circuit - Having too many appliances using the same circuit can cause the main circuit to trip and you will need to have to get an inspector gadget to find which one is causing the trip.
3. Poor maintenance - Keep a written record of when your appliances need servicing, this way you know any minor issues have been corrected and the appliance is still safe to use.
4. Proximity to water - Keep all electrical appliances away from water. Never touch anything electrical while you are standing in or near water, or when your hands are wet.

Make sure safety is always number one when it comes to electrical appliances. Stay safe and contact AAE Industries.