PAT Testing Office Appliances

16 January 2019

Why should you test office appliances?

The HSE (Health and Safety & Executive) advises that most office appliances require visual checks for obvious signs of damage. Simple tests can be carried out by any competent member of your staff. They require that ‘reasonable’ measures are taken to ensure staff and workplace safety. This would include testing any electrical appliance in use in the workplace. You can use a PAT tester like the PB500 to carry out these tests quickly, efficiently and accurately.

Typical equipment that you find in the office that might require inspection

You will need to check all electrical appliances particularly those in regular use. These can include:

• staff’s computers,
• printers,
• photocopiers,
• telephones,
• radios,
• tv screens,
• franking machines,
• shredders,
• electrical clocks,
• power tools,
• lamps.

You should determine how often you test the electrical appliances by carrying out a risk assessment. Obviously, you won’t need to test a computer that is sat in the corner of the room as frequently as a drill that is used daily.

You will find portable electrical appliances in most rooms.  You will also need to check all kitchen appliances, as well as in a staff room and offices

Office Kitchens and Staffrooms may include:

• kettles,
• toasters,
• food mixers,
• microwaves,
• fridges,
• freezers,
• coffee machines.

You should make sure to test anything with a mains plug. Furthermore, anything hardwired into the wall must be checked by a qualified electrician.

While you’re PAT testing it is good practice to keep all portable appliances in the same place.  Particularly until all tests and checks have been completed. This will ensure that you do not miss any because they were moved around your office while you carried out your tests. You should Label each appliance with your own unique identifying code. This should link to the records you keep, which will indicate the location of the appliance too. Power cables, extension leads, electrical clocks and charging units are also commonly missed so be sure to gather and test all of them as well. Finally, you should also check-in cupboards for those rarely used items too.