Loss of PEN conductor (PEN fault) at EV charge point installation
risk assessment
A written risk assessment for loss of pen conductor (pen fault) at ev charge point installation on a UK construction site: who is at risk, what goes wrong, how likely and how bad before and after controls, and the control measures that bring the score down. Copy it into your RAMS and change what does not fit.
What goes wrong
Electric shock or fatality from exposed metalwork becoming live if the PEN conductor is lost upstream on a PME supply; risk transferred to the vehicle and charging equipment.
Control measures
- Installation designed and installed to BS 7671 Section 722 and the IET Code of Practice for Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation.
- Open-PEN protective device fitted or earth rod installed per manufacturer instruction where the supply is PME and the charge point is outdoors.
- Earth loop impedance and RCD tested and recorded before commissioning.
- DNO notified per ENA Engineering Recommendation G98/G99 as applicable.
Where this sits in a RAMS
- The risk assessment names the hazard, who it can hurt, how badly, and what you will do about it. That is this page.
- The method statement then says how the work is actually done, step by step, with these controls built into the steps rather than listed at the end.
- The people doing the work read it and sign it before they start. Keep the signed copy with the job, and review it when anything changes.
Questions people ask
Do I need a written risk assessment for loss of pen conductor (pen fault) at ev charge point installation?
If you employ five or more people, the significant findings of your risk assessments must be written down (Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3). Below five it is still expected on any managed site, and every principal contractor will ask for it as part of your RAMS before you start. Guidance, not legal advice.
How is the risk score worked out?
Likelihood (1 to 5) multiplied by severity (1 to 5). This hazard scores 2 × 5 = 10 before controls (high) and 1 × 4 = 4 with the controls in place (low). The residual score is what you are accepting when you sign the RAMS off.
Can I copy this into my own RAMS?
Yes. It is written as a starting point. Change what does not match your site, add anything specific to the job, and make sure the person signing it off has actually read it. A risk assessment nobody edited is the first thing an inspector notices.
Who should carry out the risk assessment?
A competent person: someone with the training, knowledge and experience to recognise the hazards in that work and judge the controls. On most small sites that is the supervisor or the contractor themselves, with the people doing the job involved. Guidance, not legal advice.
How often should it be reviewed?
Whenever the job, the site conditions, the plant or the people change, after any incident or near miss, and at least annually so it does not go stale. Date every review.
Build the whole RAMS in ten minutes
Type the job and the trade, and SiteLynx drafts the scope, pulls hazards like this one from the library with their controls, lays out the method steps and puts it in front of your team to sign on their phones. Every plan is 14 days free.
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