Portable Appliance Testing or PAT Testing (as it's more commonly known) is the process of checking all types of electrical appliances for safety, through a series of visual inspections and specific electronic tests.
The best way of ensuring that your appliances are safe is to have a PAT Test carried out on them. This is a good way for businesses and landlords, to ensure that they are meeting their legal obligations to continually maintain high standards of electrical safety surrounding their electrical appliances, that are used in their business or rental property. It also helps to ensure you are complying with your relevant business insurance requirements. It may also invalidate your insurance policy requirements, if you don't have your electrical appliances Pat Tested.
To establish the safety and suitability of your electrical appliances, the engineer will carry out a visual inspection of the appliance, and then carry out a Pat Test on the item. The actual specifc test carried out, will depend on the type and class of the appliance.
The work should be carried out by people who have the necessary knowledge, skill and experience needed to correctly carry out the work, and be able to interpret the test results given by the testing machine, and also be capable of avoiding danger to themselves and others, whilst carrying out the work.
After the appliance has been tested, a visible pass or fail label is applied to each appliance tested, the label will have its own itemised number, which will correspond with the test results saved on the pat testing machine. It will show the month and year, that the test was carried out.
Any item that fails the pat test, will NOT be plugged back in to an electrical power supply.
The on site contact person will be notified of any items that have failed, with an explanation given as to why it has failed, and any relevant safety advice will also be provided.
If you are unsure about anything, or just simply want to find out more, then please don't hesitate to ask the engineer, who will be more than happy to answer your questions as best he can, and give you any relevant safety advice that maybe needed, regarding the failed items.
All Class I Equipment, relies on the presence of an effective protective (earth) conductor for reasons of safety.
** This is a Legal Requirement **
Please remember that an electrical appliance, will still work, even if the protective (earth) conductor is either not present or is no longer effective. That's why it's important to have your electrical appliances, regularly inspected and tested.
© All rights reserved