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06 Winter 2022 MEMBERSHIP NEWS A leading firm of builders’ merchants in Ireland has provided its tool hire operation with advanced electrical safety testing technology. The move has seen Chadwicks Sam Hire, which is part of the Chadwicks Group, equipped with Seaward’s compact bench top SafeCheck 8 testers at its 23 hire locations across the country to enable electrical safety tests. This ensures that power tools such as drills, saws, breakers, air-conditioning units and dehumidifiers, as well as other electrical rental equipment, are routinely serviced, tested and function correctly before they go out on hire. Chadwicks Sam Hire uses test technology specifically designed for the hire, rental and services industries. The firm has been using the SafeCheck 8 tester for the past eight years, along with a label printer, bar code scanners, fault simulator unit and test beacon, to provide a traceable ‘test and tag’ safety solution. Featuring built-in pre-configured tests for Class I, Class II and IEC extension lead/ power cord testing to ensure compliance with the Hire Association Europe code of practice and all other safety regulations, the tester automatically sequences through earth bond, insulation, earth leakage, continuity and full function load tests to ensure that hire equipment continues to perform within original specifications. Chadwicks Sam Hire’s product range includes products that also require flash testing as part of testing procedures. The branches’ electrical testing programmes, which are carried out by either Seaward trained supervisors or hire technicians, are overseen by Chadwicks commercial manager, Denis Bray. He said: “The safety of our staff and customers is of paramount importance. Our testing programmes are therefore designed to ensure that hire equipment not only performs to the highest standards, but also that it is safe to use and complies with all the necessary regulations. This provides complete peace-of-mind for everyone.” Chadwicks Sam Hire’s test protocol requires that all equipment is tested before being issued on hire, with the test stations also producing special test labels with details of the test results, equipment ID, date of test and a bar code ID for re-test purposes. Test data from the SafeCheck 8 is also integrated with the company’s asset management software program to provide a seamless record keeping system. This data is stored in the unit’s large capacity internal memory for subsequent print out of test reports or transfer to a PC for the compilation of databases. This provides a fully traceable audit trail for quality assurance and safety management purposes. A Test ‘n’ Tag electrical safety labelling system can be linked for the immediate print-out of test tags for attachment to the equipment or its cable as the tests are being carried out - saving time and money and eliminating the use of hand written labels. ADVANCED ELECTRICAL SAFETY TESTING FOR BUILDERS’ MERCHANTS CHAIN “The safety of our staff and customers is of paramount importance. Our testing programmes are therefore designed to ensure that hire equipment not only performs to the highest standards, but also that it is safe to use and complies with all the necessary regulations. This provides complete peace-of-mind for everyone.” Ireland’s leading firm of builders’ merchants Chadwicks Sam Hire uses Seaward SafeCheck 8 to improve electrical safety testing of hire equipment.