Depending on what you read, there are articles saying you need to PAT Test and articles saying there is no law saying you need to PAT Test. Both are kind of true. So its important to understand what your obligations are:
The law says you must have a system for routinely inspecting and maintaining your electrical equipment. So while the law does not say that you need to PAT Test…….. you do need to PAT Test!
This is because PAT Testing is the recognised way of inspecting and maintaining electrical equipment. For most electrical equipment you don’t need any formal qualification to carry out the PAT Test. You just need to be a competent person. This means you need to understand exactly what’s involved, how to do it and have the correct equipment.
PAT Testing involves the following:
Everything involved in PAT Testing in low risk environments can be found on our free online PAT Testing course. Even if you don’t need to PAT Test, it’s worth taking 25 minutes to do the course, as the information is extremely useful in the home as well as the work place.
The free online PAT Testing course can be accessed by clicking HERE
The H.S.E. (Health & Safety Executive) say any competent person can do PAT Testing. If after doing the free online course, you don’t feel confident, it makes sense to seek more formal training. It is best to seek a course nearby that trains small groups and gives plenty of time to practical testing.
You just need a Pass/Fail PAT Tester. Make sure it is from a reputable firm and that the annual calibration costs are reasonable. You can read our blog HERE
It might be, especially for very large businesses who can’t fit it around their normal working schedule. However; you are still responsible for the PAT Testing. This means that you need to be sure that they are carrying out a suitable schedule of work and taking the appropriate time it takes to carry out each test.So you still need to understand exactly what’s involved
It may be that you still don’t think you need to PAT Test. If so you will still need to do a risk assessment showing how to meet your legal obligations for inspecting electrical equipment. It is also worth checking if your insurer or any other party has an expectation that you will be PAT Testing. Some insurers now expect PAT Testing to be carried out regularly.
If you would like free advice regarding PAT Testing, please don’t hesitate to call Dale on 01392 364933. When you call have the PAT Tester and the appliance you are PAT Testing in front of you, and we can take you through the test step by step. It’s helpful if you know the Class of the appliance before you call.