PAT Testing

The Electricity at Work regulations apply to schools, government departments as well as to doctor’s surgeries, beauty salons, conference centres and all types of businesses both large and small. The regulations protect all who work in organisations, their clients, as well as the public when on their premises.

Landlords and letting agents are also required to comply and all domestic appliances such as washing machines, fridges and vacuum cleaners provided for tenants should be regularly inspected and tested.

Applicances

If your working environment is equipped with electrical appliances such as computers, printers, kettles, fans or heaters, or extension leads then, by law, they must be safely maintained. Portable Appliance Testing, or PAT Testing, carried out by qualified and competent engineers is the most commonly accepted method of demonstrating compliance. Equipment that has been tested will have a sticker attached to it which indicates it has passed the test procedure and must be supported by a report detailing appliance test results and status.

Dangers of untested equipment

Electricity can work even if it is unsafe. Every year over 1000 accidents at work involving electrical shock or burns are reported to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). Of this total 30 will result in death. Most of these accidents are preventable by adopting a careful approach to maintaining electrical equipment, as well as regular checks to assess wear and tear. PAT testing helps with assessing the safety of your equipment, and can also perform as useful inventory of all electrical equipment on site.

Periodic Inspection and Testing

Periodic Inspection & Testing involves testing the electrical wiring circuits and systems that distribute energy around a building. It includes all the hard wiring in a building be it a commercial, industrial or domestic property. All electrical circuits in a building that are fixed, such as lighting, power sockets, air conditioning and machinery need to be regularly inspected and tested to ensure compliance with the Electricity at Work Regulations.

Failure to comply

Failure to comply can have serious consequences and can result in fines, prosecution and even closure of your business. More recently, insurance companies have used this legislation to ensure that both electrical equipment and the wiring within buildings has been tested by persons competent to do so, and your Building, Employers, and Public Liability insurance may be invalid unless you are able to provide proof that you have complied.