FAQs
What is PAT Testing?
Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is an important part of a company's or individual's responsibility to health and safety. This is done using a series of specialised testing procedures on your portable appliances.
What is a "Portable Appliance"?
From a legal perspective a portable electrical appliance is defined as an item that is not part of a fixed installation but is connected to such an installation by way of a flexible lead, plug and socket This therefore means that any items such as electric drills, kettles, fridges, microwaves, PCs, printers, monitors, extension leads etc will all come under the portable appliance heading. Larger items such as photo copiers, fax machines, scanners etc will also be classified as portable appliances.
Is Portable Appliance Testing a legal requirement?
The Electricity at Work Regulations places a duty on employers and the self employed to ensure electrical equipment is 'maintained in a condition suitable for use'. The periodic inspection and testing of all electrical equipment is the recognised approach to fulfill legal obligations under the EAW regs. It is also a requirement of insurance companies that businesses have their electrical equipment routinely tested
What does a PAT test consist of?
We start with a visual inspection checking for:
- Damaged flexes
- Damaged plugs and equipment (overheating, burn marks, discolouration)
- Correctly wired plugs
- Correctly rated fuse
- Then a series of tests (depending on the class of equipment), they may include: Earth continuity testing
- Insulation resistance
- Polarity test
- Leakage test
- Fuse test
What types of appliances need testing?
Basically, any type of equipment, which is powered by electrical energy. The IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment states that this Code of Practice covers:
Portable Appliances:
An appliance of less than 18 kg in mass that is intended to be moved while in operation or an appliance which can easily be moved from one place to another, e.g. toaster, food mixer, vacuum cleaner, fan heater.
Movable Equipment (sometimes called Transportable):
This is equipment, which is either: 18 kg or less in mass and not fixed, e.g. electric fire, or equipment with wheels, castors or other means to facilitate movement by the operator as required to perform its intended use, e.g. air conditioning unit.
Hand-held Appliances:
This is portable equipment intended to be held in the hand during normal use, e.g. hair dryer, drill, soldering iron
Stationary Equipment or Appliances:
This equipment has a mass exceeding 18 kg and is not provided with a carrying handle, e.g. refrigerator, washing machine.
Fixed Equipment/Appliances:
This is equipment of an appliance, which is fastened to a support or otherwise secured in a specified location, e.g. bathroom heater, towel rail.
Appliances/Equipment for Building in:
This equipment is intended to be installed in a prepared recess such as a cupboard or similar. In general, equipment for building in does not have an enclosure on all sides because on one or more of the sides, additional protection against electric shock is provided by the surroundings e.g. a built-in electric cooker.
Information Technology Equipment (Business Equipment):
Information technology equipment includes electrical business equipment such as computer and mains powered telecommunications equipment, and other equipment for general business use, such as mail processing machines, electric plotters, trimmers, VDUs, data terminal equipment, typewriters, telephones, printers, photo-copiers, power packs.
Extension Leads:
The use of extension leads should be avoided where possible. If used, they should be tested as portable appliances. It is recommended that 3-core leads (including a protective earthing conductor) be used.
A standard 13 A 3-pin extension socket-outlet with a 2-core cable should never be used even if the appliance to be used in Class II, as it would not provide protection against electrical shock if used at any time with an item of Class I equipment.
The length of an extension lead for general use should not exceed the following:
Core Area Maximum Length
- 1.25mm2 12 metres
- 1.5mm2 15 metres
- 2.5mm2 25 metres*
- 2.5mm2 cables are too large for standard 13 A plugs, but they may be used with BS EN 60309 industrial plugs.
These maximum lengths are not applicable to the flex of an appliance, for guidance refer to paragraph 15.13 (IEE Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment).
If extension lead lengths do exceed the above, they shall be protected by a 30 mA RCD manufactured to BS 7071.
Do new appliances need PAT Testing?
The 'Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations' states that new equipment should be inspected 'after installation and before being put into service' and, 'after assembly at a new site or location'. We recommend a common sense approach - that new items be incorporated into your regular PAT testing routine, but in the meantime, any new items should be visually checked over by the 'responsible person' employed in your company to oversee electrical safety.
I've heard that PAT Testing damages I.T. equipment, is this true?
If carried out correctly, PAT Testing does not damage any equipment. We use special 'soft tests' when testing I.T. equipment, this form of testing is perfectly safe for delicate electrical appliances such as I.T. equipment.
How often do my appliances need to be PAT tested?
Frequency of testing depends on the type of equipment and the environment in which it is used. The frequencies we recommend are based on the guidelines by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET) and our own experience.
How long does it take?
Typically, PAT Testing takes about 2 - 3 minutes per electrical appliance. One engineer can test between 100 and 200 appliances a day, depending on the type of appliances being tested and the location.
Do many items fail?
Not usually. Most minor faults can be put right before being tested, eg. incorrect fuse sizes, loose wiring in plugs etc.
What is the most common cause for an item to fail?
Bare wires, often caused when a flex has been trapped against a sharp object. Industrial vacuum cleaners are prone to this problem because they have long flexes. However, if the damage is near to the plug end of the flex, we can shorten the flex to cut out the damaged part (at no extra charge).
What happens if an item fails?
Most failures are easily dealt with and our engineers will advise you of the best course of action on the day of the inspection OR in the final report issued to you on completion of the job.
I am currently leasing electrical equipment. Is it my responsibility to have them PAT Tested?
Yes, under The Defective Equipment Act, you are responsible for all third party equipment.
Our employees bring some of their own electrical items to work. Do they need testing?
Yes they do. Private equipment used at work has the potential to be just as dangerous as company electrical equipment. By allowing electrical equipment onto the company site, the employer becomes responsible for the safety of it.
How do we know that our electrical appliances have been tested and that you haven't just stuck labels on every appliance in sight?
The PAT testing equipment that we use records all of the tests carried out on each appliance, the test results are printed off and presented to you in a folder. Our detailed test results show which engineer carried out the testing, the date of testing, a description of the appliance and an appliance number, along with a list of all the tests carried out on each and every appliance. This system proves to you that we actually did carry out inspection and testing for all the appliances invoiced.
Could I, or one of my employees, carry out Portable Appliance Testing in-house?
Yes, however, you would need to ensure that any person who carries this electrical testing out is competent to do so. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 guidance on Regulation 4(3) state that: "The operation, maintenance and testing of electrical systems and equipment should be carried out only by those person who are competent for the particular class of work." This is covered by the IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment which states: "Those carrying out inspection and testing must be competent to undertake the inspection and, where appropriate, testing of electrical equipment an appliances having due regard to their own safety and that of others.
The tester must have an understanding of the modes of electrical, mechanical or thermal damage to electrical equipment and appliances and their flexes, which may be encountered in any environment.
Training must include the identification of equipment and appliance types to determine the test procedures and frequency of inspection and testing. Persons must be familiar with the test instruments used and in particular their limitations and restrictions so as to achieve repeatable results without damaging the equipment of appliance.
The importance must be stressed of recording inspection and test results, labeling and reporting to managers for action on defects, trends or changes in their assessment of risk.
What qualifications does a person need to carry out PAT Testing. I've heard that anyone can do it?
The industry standard recognised qualification is City and Guilds 2377 - Portable Appliance Testing Inspection and Testing Certificate. There is some confusion amongst the public as who can carry out PAT Testing. It stems from the use of the term 'competent person', which some people have assumed can mean just about anyone. However, the explanatory notes to the Electricity at Work Regulations clearly describe the 'competent person' as a person having the necessary skills, qualifications, knowledge and experience to carry out inspection and testing. In short, a person must be suitably qualified to PAT Test.
Wouldn't it be cheaper if I have one of my employees carry out Portable Appliance Testing?
Although you may believe that purchasing your own Portable Appliance Test instrument and having in-house staff carry out the portable appliance testing may be more cost effective, there are several factors to bear in mind. Firstly, you would need to ensure that the requirement of competence is met, which will undoubtedly involve expenditure in training. Secondly, you need to purchase the equipment and the software, and gain the expertise in its use. We find that many companies who have tried to carry out testing in-house also take more time to do the electrical testing as the staff generally only do this as part of their job, and do not have the experience to minimise the disruption factor in shutting down equipment. There may also be a tendency to "pass" appliances that may present a potential hazard, as it would mean taking the appliance out of commission.
All of our test engineers are trained to meet the current recommendations. This is our core business and we firmly believe that we can carry out the Portable Appliance Testing at your premises in the most cost-effective manner, whilst our experience and unique systems minimise the disruption to you and your staff.
How much will it cost?
Our pricing is based on a cost per test. For a free, no obligation quote, call us now on 0845 680 7014 and speak to a member of Specialist PAT Testing.
Are there any additional costs?
No. Minor repairs to appliances and the supply and/or fitting of materials e.g. new plugs, correctly rated fuse, rewiring plug top etc are all free and part of our service.
Can the tests be done during or outside normal business hours?
The work can be done in or out of office hours. Our service provides scope for out of hours testing to be carried out at NO extra cost (for orders above 300 items).
Why Specialist PAT Testing?
We believe that we can offer you, the potential customer, an unrivalled service, in quality and ability that will minimise disruption to your day to day operations whilst ensuring that you, and your staff, are working in the safest environment possible.
How long will the testing take?
We can do approximately 15 to 25 electrical tests per hour, this is dependant on access and availability of the items.
We have 1000's of bits of equipment. Does this mean that we get reams of worthless paper that takes ages to manage?
We can supply all your test results and appliance register to you on a CD- ROM instead of or in addition to hard copies of reports. Hard copies are produced as standard and sent from our Head Office following completion of testing. These reports include a full Appliance Register, Fail Certificates (if applicable) and Pass Certificates, and are bound into a folder for ease of reference. You will also receive a covering Display Certificate.
