HSE finds Faulty, Damaged and Defective Equipment

As part of a nationwide inspection campaign, the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) visited hand car washing facilities throughout West and Mid Sussex and found "shocking" health and safety failings at 20 of the sites in West and Mid Sussex.

The campaign's itinerary shows the next wave of inspections begins this week (19th June 2023) and is moving into East Sussex and Surrey. The nationwide campaign is in response to persistent safety problems with hand car washing businesses following the recent prosecution by HSE of a car valeting company in the North East of England.

The majority of issues found during last weeks inspections (throughout West and Mid Sussex) were related to electrical safety. Serious health and safety breaches such as faulty sockets and damaged cabling. Inspectors also found some businesses didn’t have Employers Liability (Compulsory) Insurance in place while others lacked basic toilet and other staff welfare facilities.

Principal Inspector Emma Stiles (who is leading the campaign) said that the results have reinforced HSE’s concerns about basic safety in the car valeting / washing industry. “A number of Prohibition Notices have been served meaning that there was an immediate serious risk of injury to staff and members of the public." “Faulty electrical sockets and wiring are putting workers and the public at risk of serious injury from contact with electricity." “Business owners need to understand the implications of cutting corners around safety.”

To read the full HSE story - click here.

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Now i don't speak for everyone (the business owners - clearly) but the majority of people know that water and faulty cabling / sockets are a serious no go. Not only is there a serious chance of electrocution, but theirs also a massive fire hazard. Most electrical fires are caused by faulty electrical outlets or worn out sockets that aren't properly grounded. As a socket ages, the wiring behind wears and loosens and can eventually break and cause a fire.

The Government continues to implement new legislation following the Hackett review and Grenfell Tower Inquiry. This has resulted in amendments to the existing Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (Fire Safety Order) which governs day to day fire safety. Therefore, ensuring that your business regularly completes risk assessments and ensures hazards are dealt with accordingly not only protects your employees and members of the public, but it also ensures your reputation is not tarnished following a HSE inspection or incident.

TakeAIM is an auditing, equipment inspection and maintenance app used to help companies manage workplace equipment and risk assessments. TakeAIM provides visibility and insights to help reduce maintenance downtime and improve safety by enabling inspections via mobiles, combined with a web platform for management analysis. Your team can inspect all assets (no matter how unique), identify equipment which shouldn't be used and communicate issues directly to their head office / manager all using the TakeAIM app.