Panasonic General Service Manual

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Product Group: General Model: General
Date: 23/07/99 Revision No: 01 Document No: 01
Subject: Safety Testing

GUIDANCE NOTES FOR THE SAFETY OF PANASONIC CONSUMER

PRODUCTS AFTER REPAIR

PCSUK have become aware of some confusion that exists with dealers, as to their legal obligations in
respect of safety testing. In particular engineers seem confused by the application of the Electricity at Work
Regulations 1989 and the test regimes established by the British Standards Institute or other standards
organisations.

The following notes are intended to give guidance on both the legal position and the testing procedures. They
are not definitive of either aspect, however, and any repairer who is not clear as to their legal responsibility or
test procedures should seek appropriate specialist advice.

Electricity at Work Regulations 1989

These regulations came into force on the 1st April 1990 and relate, in the main, to the duties and obligations
of employers and employees regarding the use of electricity in the work place. Whilst the regulations may
affect the place in which repairs are made, they are not directly applicable to the testing of consumer products
after repair.

British and European Safety Standards

In the case of Panasonic products, safety testing of products prior to their release on the market is conducted
within the framework of British Standards (BS) or European Harmonised Standards (EN). It is neither
necessary, nor practical, to test to the relevant standard following repair, particularly since some of the tests
are destructive.

Imagine the joy of your customer when advised that following safety testing after repair, the remains of the
product are available for collection.

The Legal Position

Repairers are NOT generally required by law to conduct particular (or indeed any) tests following the repair
of a product. It is prudent however, to do so, particularly since repairers may be liable for the consequences
of an imperfectly carried out repair giving rise to a safety hazard. Such liability may arise out of a breach of
contract (whether containing express or implied terms: implied, for example, by the operation of the Supply of
Goods and Services Act 1982) or as a result of negligence by the repairer. In practice it is extremely hard to
limit or exclude such liability in normal consumer transactions and impossible to exclude in cases relating to
claims of death or personal injury.

Panasonic CS U.K. Document No: 01

Model: General

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The exact extent of a repairers liability is extremely hard to quantify and varies according to the circumstances
of each claim. It is, therefore, important to exercise reasonable care so as to ensure that a repair has been
properly effected.

Who should carry out safety testing?

Tests should be carried out by a suitably qualified person (whether qualified by the passing of appropriate
examinations or by experience) able to effectively and safely execute such tests. Repairers should always bear
in mind that apart from ensuring that the product is safe, it is also important to ensure that the process of
initial inspection, repair and safety testing is in itself conducted in a safe manner. This is a legal requirement,
breach of which may involve both civil and criminal actions.

Effecting the repair

As these notes refer to safety testing of Panasonic products, we do not propose to consider the process of
repair in any detail. However, it should be pointed out that it is the responsibility of the repairer to ensure that
safety provisions built in to the equipment are not compromised. Thus, for example, safety components
marked with the symbol shown in Fig. 1a in need of replacement, should be replaced strictly in accordance
with the manufacturers instruction, both as to component type and manner of fitting.

!

Fig. 1a Fig. 1b

The above statement is not restricted to safety related components, and engineers should be aware that the
replacement of any components or cabinet part not approved by the manufacturer, could compromise safety
features, or give rise to a safety hazard, which may not be immediately apparent.

Before Testing

Any testing must be carried out with regard to construction and type of equipment. In respect of electrical
protection built into any particular product, it is important to differentiate between products protected by
means of an earth conductor (identified as Class I products) and those solely protected by insulation
(Class II products). Note that Class I products may also have Class II areas, i.e., protection by double or
reinforced insulation in areas where protection is not provided by earthed metal.

Panasonic CS U.K. Document No: 01

Model: General

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