PAT (Or Portable Appliance Testing) is a necessity in the workplace. It is designed to avoid any injury or risk from using electrical appliances in the workplace. That may be your old microwave or your brand spanking new keyboard in your office. This guide will help you understand your responsibility, what needs testing and when.
What is PAT Testing?
PAT Testing (can otherwise be known as PAT or PAT Inspection) is a process carried out in the UK, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand and Australia, ensuring that all electrical appliances are checked for safety in accordance with Health & Safety regulations, to prevent harm to any workers.
In other words: Making sure your electricals are safe, to keep you and your staff safe.
How often should testing be?
With PAT Testing, the frequency of the inspection is entirely dependent on the likelihood of the appliance becoming faulty. Often this is decided on the type of appliance it is, how and how often it is used. Of course, it’s a little more in-depth than just that. The tester will asses the next assessment using the following variables:
How dangerous the environment the appliance is kept in is.
How likely the item is to reported faulty by it’s users.
The safety class of the equipment.
The type of appliance. I.E – Handheld appliances are more likely to go wrong than fixed appliances
In other words: Safer items don’t need testing as much
Who does the testing?
The Electricity at Work regulations state that nobody should engage into work where technical knowledge is needed to prevent danger or injury unless the person possesses such knowledge or is under an appropriate degree of supervision.
People testing the appliances must be trained and competent towards the different appliance types to correctly determine inspection frequency as well as being able to complete the test without damaging the appliance.
In other words: Get somebody in who knows what they’re doing.
Peace of mind
PAT Testing is an important box to tick on the to-do list, as it adds comfort to yourself and your staff over the safety of the electrical equipment they’re using, and that the equipment will last you awhile longer.
Appoint someone to conduct a full PAT test on your building
Add the retest dates to your calendar so you don’t forget
Keep the documentation stating that all your electronics are in full working order
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