Portable Appliance Testing, (PAT) has to be carried out in order for businesses to comply fully with the Electricity At Work Regulations. Electrical appliances, when used regularly, can become worn or damaged and subsequently pose an Electric Shock Hazard and a potential Fire Risk to a building. Therefore it is a health & safety essential.
A proper maintenance schedule is essential for businesses and orgainsations, in order to prevent appliances becoming unsafe. Companies are required to undertake periodically on all their portable appliances so PAT Testing is ideal as it is a documented system of electrical maintenance.
How do you define a Portable Appliance?
Basically every item within your premises with a plug will need testing. Portable Appliances are electrical items that can be transferred around an area and are connected to the electricity supply via a plug and socket.
Why Do We Need To Test Portable Electrical Appliances?
Portable Appliance Testing is important because:
- Maintain the safety of employees, visitors and customers
- Adherence to the Health & Saftety at Work Act 1974
- Minimise Electric Shock Hazards due to faulty/ damaged electrical equipment
- Miminise Fire Risks due to faulty/ damaged electrical equipment
- Insurance companies cannot dispute claims for damage through fire because of insufficient electrical maintenance
- The ISO 9000 Quality Assurance Standard requires all companies to comply with the Health and Safety requirements
- Compliance with the Electricity At Work Regulations 1989
How Often do you need to carry out PAT TESTING?
This depends entirely on the workplace environment and the type equipment which is to be tested. Usually we would advise that PAT Testing should be carried out annually. Certain items may be more prone to damage. If you need help with the frequency of testing then contact us at Neat Electrical, we are more than happy to assist you.
How Can You Tell When PAT TESTING Is Next Due If It Has Been Carried Out?
There should be a label clearly displayed on the appliance or the plug if PAT Testing has been performed on an appliance.
If there is no label on the electrical equipment then it is plausable that PAT Testing is required as soon as possible. If you find that there are labels on your equipment then check the test due date to verify whether testing is due.
During a Portable Appliance Test, What Tests Are Performed?
During Portable Appliance Testing Neat Electrical will undertake the following series of tests on each appliance where applicable, these tests are standard:
- Earth continuity test to test the appliance is correctly earthed
- Earth leakage current test
- Full visual inspection
- Insulation resistance test
- All items with a plug are tested using calibrated test equipment.
- Functional test to ensure correct and safe operation of the appliance
To indicate the results of the individual tests a full report and certificate is produced for you to keep on file.
To ensure that the item can be tracked and provides a clear indication of its pass / fail status, each tested item will be labelled with an electrical safety pass sticker which will show the date of test, date of next test and a unique item number.
To maintain the Health & Safety of users, failed items (i.e electric shock or fire hazards) are taken away, labelled and any necessary action will be discussed with the site manager.
Will My Business Be Disrupted During The PORTABLE APPLIANCE TESTING?
We understand that any potential downtime for our clients must be kept to the bare minimum. Neat Electrical pride themselves on having fully qualified test engineers who will work around you as much as possible. This way any
disruption will be minimised. If an important appliance is in constant use and cannot be unplugged from the mains then a visual inspection will take place therefore minimising any disruption.
How Much Is A PAT TEST Going To Cost Me?
The test engineers at Neat Electrical are fully qualified and highly experienced with the use of up-to-date equipment. We strive to offer the most competitively priced and best quality PAT Testing to all our clients.
