![\"seaward\"](\"https:\/\/ewnews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/seaward-218x300.gif\")
Advanced electrical test instrumentation is helping the\u00a0facilities management team at HM Winchester Prison\u00a0fulfil a range of essential electrical and more general\u00a0health and safety responsibilities.<\/p>\nAdvanced electrical test instrumentation is helping the\u00a0facilities management team at HM Winchester Prison\u00a0fulfil a range of essential electrical and more general\u00a0health and safety responsibilities.<\/p>\n
Following last year\u2019s transfer of facilities\u00a0management services at a number of\u00a0prisons to Carillion, the FM team at\u00a0Winchester prison is using a Seaward\u00a0Apollo 600 tester to combine electrical\u00a0testing with a range of workplace safety\u00a0tasks.<\/p>\n
As well as the safety of all electrical\u00a0equipment and appliances used on the prison\u00a0site, this includes the regular testing of water\u00a0systems for Legionnaires\u2019 disease, the condition\u00a0of emergency lighting systems and fire alarm\u00a0control panels.<\/p>\n
The focal point of the prison\u2019s health and\u00a0safety inspection and testing programme is the\u00a0multi-purpose Apollo 600 tester, supported by\u00a0the PATGuard 3 Elite software program.<\/p>\n
Together, the specialist tester and\u00a0comprehensive software provides an all-round\u00a0health and safety management tool that\u00a0combines appliance testing with a universal risk\u00a0assessment capability, sophisticated data\u00a0collection, and the ability to produce a wide\u00a0range of reports, certificates and other safety\u00a0documentation.<\/p>\n
As part of the safe systems of work\u00a0established in the prison, the Apollo is used to\u00a0produce bar codes to identify all individual\u00a0electrical appliances and other items of\u00a0equipment included in the health and safety\u00a0inspections. This includes water tanks and\u00a0emergency lighting system components, so\u00a0that the correct data and records are stored\u00a0automatically against each item as inspections\u00a0are undertaken.<\/p>\n
The instrument\u2019s onboard camera also\u00a0enables images taken during visual inspections\u00a0and risk assessments to be tagged against\u00a0records to provide evidence of decisions taken\u00a0and a traceable audit trail of all safety\u00a0conditions.<\/p>\n
The electrical tests and checks, along with\u00a0other safety records entered in the PATGuard 3\u00a0software enables the facilities manager to log\u00a0inspections and identify any issues that can be\u00a0reported to senior staff and department heads.<\/p>\n