Tester in use at HMP Winchester

Following last year’s transfer of facilities management services at a number of prisons to Carillion, the FM team at Winchester is using a Seaward Apollo 600 tester to combine electrical testing with a range of other workplace safety tasks. 

Importantly, as well as the safety of all electrical equipment and appliances used on the prison site, this includes the regular testing of water systems for Legionnaires disease, the condition of emergency lighting systems and fire alarm control panels.

To help the team meet its responsibilities, the focal point of the prison’s health and safety inspection and testing programme is the multi-purpose Apollo 600 tester, supported by the PATGuard 3 Elite software program.

Together, the specialist tester and comprehensive software provides an all-round health and safety management tool that combines appliance testing with a universal risk assessment capability, sophisticated data collection, and the ability to produce a wide range of reports, certificates and other safety documentation. 

Jeff Foster, FM services manager for Carillion at HMP Winchester, said: “With the huge variety of equipment and appliances in use in the prison, there is a considerable time saving in being able to identify items, carry out tests, record results and make any notes as part of a fully streamlined process.

“Having all non-electrical inspections alongside the results of traditional PAT tests, in the same system and in the same format, also means that reports and certificates can be produced quickly and easily.”