Test & Tag

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#1953606 8-Feb-2018 13:20

I think it's taking it a little far but these days of businesses having to mitigate risks I guess Universities are no different. If there's a fire in a hostel at 4am by someone's phone charger that shorted, the University needs to cover itself and demonstrate they did all they realistically could have done to prevent it. It may even be a requirement of their insurers.

rb99

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#1955527 12-Feb-2018 09:46

Bit of follow up. Took stuff to Electricians in town and it cost about $58 for 11 items. About 40 minutes at most. Not too bad. Electrician was saying son or nephew goes to Hamilton something and they checked everything he turned up with. Probably worth doing then. One thing less to worry about anyway.

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rb99

Aredwood

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#1955556 12-Feb-2018 10:18

Groucho:
I think it's taking it a little far but these days of businesses having to mitigate risks I guess Universities are no different. If there's a fire in a hostel at 4am by someone's phone charger that shorted, the University needs to cover itself and demonstrate they did all they realistically could have done to prevent it. It may even be a requirement of their insurers.

I guess the t&t helps to weed out the dodgy phone chargers. But the university would also need a system to catch people bringing in new appliances during the year.

And how do you apply the tag to something like a phone charger? When the tag is bigger than the charger itself, and the charger doesn't have a permanently attached cord.

tripper1000

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#1955782 12-Feb-2018 15:00

I have seen test tags on USB cables. They usually tag the mains cords on computers, which means the cord (and test certificate) can be moved from one computer to another, to your guitar amp, to your kettle etc.

Edit: Spelling.

tripper1000

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#1955792 12-Feb-2018 15:11

rb99:

Didn't think was much danger if not needing to do it. If he's going to stay there I guess we follow their conditions.

Any thoughts on age ? There's a vacuum cleaner still in its box bought at the weekend and a laptop which was only extracted from its box last week...

Yeah obviously new appliances should be safe, but they generally don't have a date of manufacture on them, so policing is hard.

The point to remember is that there is no shortage of fools in this world and the rules are written to the lowest denominator - not every one is bringing new appliances to uni, and there are plenty of people who blissfully use appliances with cracked cases and cords with damaged insulation.

Then there are also the cheap devices - the last time the testers came through my work place they binned 6 or 7 of those cheap multiboards - the sockets in them were not contacting the earth/power pins properly. Some of them had visible damage where they'd overheated and no one had noticed.

amiga500

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#1955793 12-Feb-2018 15:12

Some buildings and facilities have RCD built in at the switchboard. In theory, this means that testing and tagging of equipment and extension cords is less important.

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tripper1000

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#1955812 12-Feb-2018 15:38

amiga500:

Some buildings and facilities have RCD built in at the switchboard. In theory, this means that testing and tagging of equipment and extension cords is less important.

In addition to electrical testing, Test/tag is also a visual inspection for mechanical damage, exposed wiring, correct plug type for appliance current rating etc. RCD's are not a catchall they simply reduce the chance of dying from electric shock. With them you still get a scary wallop in the time it takes them to disconnect, I can tell you.

StarBlazer

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#1955875 12-Feb-2018 16:24

tripper1000:

I have seen test tags on USB cables. They usually tag the mains cords on computers, which means the cord (and test certificate) can be moved from one computer to another, to your guitar amp, to your kettle etc.

I was wondering the same. A laptop power brick and the mains cable should need testing separately.

Serious question, what does the test actually test for? Earth leak would trip any RCD but many electronics don't even have an earth pin!

Procrastination eventually pays off.

wellygary

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#1955881 12-Feb-2018 16:26

StarBlazer:

Serious question, what does the test actually test for? Earth leak would trip any RCD but many electronics don't even have an earth pin!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_appliance_testing

StarBlazer

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#1955883 12-Feb-2018 16:32

wellygary:

StarBlazer:

Serious question, what does the test actually test for? Earth leak would trip any RCD but many electronics don't even have an earth pin!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_appliance_testing

Interesting, thanks. I don't remember them doing a microwave leak in the office when we had our devices tested - is that not a requirement for NZ?

Procrastination eventually pays off.

frankv

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#1956111 13-Feb-2018 07:12

rb99:

Apparently if you dare to take electrical anything to uni you need to get it all tested and tagged.

If your laptop charger or whatever is safe, ignore it. It's unenforceable and stupid.

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Goosey

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#1956119 13-Feb-2018 08:00

Tagging is around 12-20$ per item.

Try Jims test n tag or call a sparky.....

Sureley the UNI AV department has a tester or access to a tester given they are semi 'hiring out equipment'.

Oblivian

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#1956135 13-Feb-2018 09:07

Hotels.

Highest turnover of random device chargers/cables and all in sundry of dodgy chineese made universal power pin adaptors.

Don't see them checking your bags on arrival nor many burning down. Pretty much sums it for me.

tripper1000

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#1956167 13-Feb-2018 09:33

Oblivian:

Hotels.

Highest turnover of random device chargers/cables and all in sundry of dodgy chineese made universal power pin adaptors.

Don't see them checking your bags on arrival nor many burning down. Pretty much sums it for me.

Conveniently ignoring demographics and human nature here.

If a student could afford to live in a Hotel, they wouldn't have any qualms about replacing damaged appliances would they?

If a student can barely afford to feed themselves (the bulk of student continually plead poverty), they're not likely to replace dodgy appliances until they cease working.

Oblivian

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#1956177 13-Feb-2018 09:52

tripper1000:

Oblivian:

Hotels.

Highest turnover of random device chargers/cables and all in sundry of dodgy chineese made universal power pin adaptors.

Don't see them checking your bags on arrival nor many burning down. Pretty much sums it for me.

Conveniently ignoring demographics and human nature here.

If a student could afford to live in a Hotel, they wouldn't have any qualms about replacing damaged appliances would they?

If a student can barely afford to feed themselves (the bulk of student continually plead poverty), they're not likely to replace dodgy appliances until they cease working.

Sorry, wasn't that clear. I was more pouring fuel on the overall 'waste of time' team than meaning specifically to the student living case aforementioned. As in it's kinda like how student living works (those at the top end with no knowledge of what sort of cables are walking in the front door and don't tend to give a speech on it as you walk in).

Whole place has gone mad with interpretation of the legislation.

I like someone else had a fully scoped project put on hold, as even the unopened heat sealed cables intended to use with new machines had to be put through the process. Or replaced with a 5+yr old stretched/reused/routed/yanked on one that had been 0.o

Needing to get to a height with a ladder onsite.. well thats another story.

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