What is PAT Testing and What Does it Involve?
Val Chisolm
PAT testing is short for Portable Appliance Testing, and if you’re a business or a landlord, then you’ll you need to know exactly what it is. If you don’t, and an accident occurs as a result of faulty appliances you supplied at your business or rented property, then you could be liable. PAT testing in Edinburgh is carried out to test electrical equipment and to decide whether it’s in a good enough condition to use, this is usually carried out by a qualified electrician and it’s up to you to hire one that knows what he/she is doing.
Annual or Sooner – PAT Testing is Important
If you run a business then it’s your responsibility to ensure all appliances that you’ve supplied (and not that of your tenant or employee) is safe to use for all those that will be using it. It’s usually carried out on a yearly basis, although it can depend on the nature of the appliance and what it’s used for. Although it’s not a legal requirement, The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, do ask that you test any electrical appliance that could potentially harm someone.
Visual PAT Testing
This is done by a competent and fully qualified electrician in order to make sure the electrical equipment is safe to use, checking visible signs of damage to plugs, cables, wires and casing. This way it can be removed without risk of harm. These simple visual checks should be made when new equipment has been installed, moved, or as part of the yearly check-up.
Formal PAT Testing
If equipment becomes faulty or it’s based in a laboratory, workshop or a surgical theatre, it’s a high risk area and will become part of a formal visual inspection. You will need a competently qualified and trained electrician to carry this out, someone who’s been through a training course and is now an authorised PAT tester. This will involve disconnecting the appliances form the electrical supply, removing the plugs and casings to check that they are properly secure with the right fuse. They will be checked for internal damage too to make sure they don’t contain anything that shouldn’t be there, such as dust, dirt or any liquids.
Everything that uses an electricity supply should be tested, and although this is commonly done on a yearly basis, if you have new equipment, you should have it tested, especially if it’s in a high risk area. You should carry out a risk assessment on any new appliances and make a judgement on whether you believe anything needs a PAT test. Your risk assessment should give you a good idea. Although it’s not a legal requirement, you’ll find that making sure your equipment has been tested and given the all clear, will give both you and your employees, or tenants, peace of mind.
Reliable and Safe PAT Testing Edinburgh
We are a team of reliable, experienced and fully qualified technicians with expertise in PAT testing. We can test your appliances for you – giving them the all clear when it’s safe to do so and informing you of any changes that require immediately action.
Get in touch if you need to discuss PAT testing for your business or rented accommodation and let’s see what we can do for you.