The Legalities

Most companies assume PAT is a legal requirement, but it is not.
What is a requirement is that your equipment is maintained in a safe working order, in line with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (which IS law).
These Reg’s state: As may be necessary to prevent danger, all systems shall be maintained so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, such danger. The most effective way to ensure this maintenance is through regular testing & inspection.

Frequency of testing

Most items require testing one a year, but depending upon the equipment this can be as infrequently as once every four years for some office equipment, up to once every three months for construction site tools.
The frequency is based on your own H&S risk assessment, but in most cases a yearly test is recommended.

Cost of testing

If the price is too low you can expect that the PAT is not being carried out thoroughly, by what’s known as ‘sticker bandits’. You will end up with green stickers to all your
appliances but no guarantee they’ve actually been tested, maybe just inspected if you are lucky.
A reasonable price should be around £1.40—£2.50, depending on quantity of items. The more items, usually the lower the unit price.

Is it being done right?

It’s best to ensure the company is using the right equipment. Some have a tester which can only generate a ‘pass or fail’ result rather than giving a full detailed breakdown of the testing.
When the tester is able to see the results for the earth test, the insulation test and other specific results, they are able to make an informed decision on the safety of your equipment.
We utilise the latest Megger PAT420 testers to ensure we have the full results at our finger tips.

Microwave ovens

Microwave ovens require another test as well as your standard PAT test. This is to check if micro waves are leaking from the oven cavity which could seriously harm someone’s health. It’s a simple test with a leakage detector, but it confirms that the door seal and window are safe and the appliance is ok to use.

Make sure the tester has been tested!

The PAT tester also needs to be trained correctly. There are lots of people out there carrying out testing who are not trained. There is much more to PAT than just putting a plug into a tester and pressing a button to make sure it is safe. More than one test is required for items and visual inspections are also required to confirm the cable size is correct, the plug is terminated correctly and much more. Our testers have the C&G 2377 qualification as a minimum.