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School Shutdowns: A Comprehensive Guide on Electrical Equipment Maintenance

8 October 2024

What is a school shutdown?

A school shutdown refers to maintenance work that is conducted during a prolonged school closure. This occurs during seasonal holidays, such as Christmas, Easter, summer, and half-term holidays. During this period, educational activities are temporarily stopped as children take time off from school, which provides a convenient environment to conduct inspections and maintenance work. This maintenance work is conducted within the school building and can also be extended to portable classrooms or portacabins on the school grounds.

During this time, school management takes the opportunity to carry out: 

  • Inspections, such as a visual inspection of the electrical assets to determine if there are any risks for employees and pupils, for example cracks or breaks, loose connections, or exposed wires. 
  • Maintenance operations, for example, PAT Testing of the electrical appliances every 12 months, to ensure they are safe for use by employees and pupils.  
  • Remedial work, for example, fixing insulation around wires that is inadequate or non-existent. This prevents electric shocks and fires and improves the efficiency and durability of the electrical systems.  

With a decrease in the number of individuals on-site, safety risks are minimised and potential disruption to shutdown plans.

Planning and organisation are critical for an efficient shutdown

Before a school shutdown can take place, there needs to be rigorous planning carried out by the electrical engineers to ensure an efficient shutdown can take place within the timeframe. Scheduling and organising enables a safe and structured performance of maintenance operations. The plan will ensure the inspection, maintenance, and remedial actions can be conducted to make the school safety compliant before the school break is over. 

School shutdown checklist

You should assess the following before, during, and after a school shutdown: 

  1. Plan the school holiday dates. 
  1. Notify relevant stakeholders about the planned shutdown. 
  1. Check that the due dates of your Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) coincide with the due dates of your inspections. 
  1. Conduct an inspection and risk assessment of the electrical equipment. 
  1. Keep a record of the maintenance operations and remedial work, and make sure they are up to date. 
  1. Carry out the maintenance, repairs, adjustments, and upgrades. 
  1. Clean work areas and safely dispose of or store hazardous materials. 
  1. Guarantee the school area is safe for employees and pupils to return.

What remedial work is conducted during a school shutdown?

When assets or equipment are damaged, repairs are necessary to ensure electrical safety. For example, the school facility management has observed that there’s some broken sockets in one of the classrooms; this could pose a risk of electrical shock to pupils and staff. An inspection is conducted on the electrical sockets to determine the issue, and the necessary repairs are performed to restore safety compliance.

Common electrical issues identified during a school shutdown

Outdated electrical systems 

Outdated electrical systems, such as old equipment or wiring, are common in schools and educational portacabins (also known as portable classrooms). These systems may not be able to support the electrical demand of modern equipment and devices. Outdated electrical wiring and components may not comply with the safety regulations, so it is important to upgrade the systems to ensure they are compatible with the electrical load and ensure safety. 

Schedule your EICR 

Overloaded circuits 

An electrical failure can occur if the equipment is faulty and the circuit overloads. This can lead to electrical fires or shocks, which can result in injury to employees and pupils. For example, if you have not had an up-to-date Portable Appliance Test (PAT) for printers or computers, then faults and issues could be missed, increasing the chances of hazards. 

Schedule your PAT Testing 

Improper bonding and earthing 

During a school shutdown, damaged or corroded earth connections, inadequate bonding, or unsuitable installation of earth electrodes may be uncovered. Bonding and earthing are used to safely redirect fault electrical currents away from electrical systems to prevent electric shocks. Fixing this problem will minimise the risk of electric shocks to pupils and staff. 

Faulty wiring 

Faulty wiring can lead to electrical malfunctions such as security systems failing, electrical fires, and overheating. Maintenance and repair should be carried out on assets such as emergency lighting to ensure it is compliant and efficient so the safety of your staff and pupils is not at risk. If this equipment is not monitored and inspected, then it could result in a breach of safety compliance. 

Schedule your Emergency Lighting Service 

Why are school shutdowns vital for safety?

School shutdowns are essential for safety compliance and asset management. They ensure that electrical equipment is functioning efficiently and safely on the school premises. 

For example, shutdowns are vital for: 

  • Pupil, employee, and guest safety with the implementation of safer equipment. 
  • Prevent facility and equipment failure with regular inspection, maintenance, and repairs. 
  • Extend equipment lifespan with repairs, maintenance, and upgrades. 
  • Comply with legal requirements with regular maintenance operations and monitoring. 

Overall school shutdowns ensure facilities and equipment reliability, safety, and compliance with the Health and Safety Executive, Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. 

Planning for your next school shutdown?

At BES Group, we take pride in offering industry-leading school shutdown inspections, maintenance, and repairs. Our accredited engineers deliver accommodating solutions tailored for your public sector facilities. We emphasise safety and compliance at every stage of the process. 

We cover a variety of areas, such as Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR), PAT Testing, Emergency Lighting Services and Inspection Services.   We also provide maintenance work and upgrades to support the installation of greener electrical initiatives, such as LED lighting and EV Charger installation for schools.

Our key solutions include:  

Our experienced engineers deliver comprehensive inspections such as LOLER, PSSR and PUWER providing equipment safety and compliance for your premises.  

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