Portable Appliance Inspection and Testing or PAT Testing, as it is sometimes referred to, is an important part of any health and safety policy. Since the 1st April 1990 it has been a legal requirement for employers and the self employed to have all portable electrical appliances and equipment periodically inspected and tested for compliance with the safety regulations. This means that all portable appliances need to be subjected to electrical testing.

Current legislation demands that employers ensure portable appliances are safe. The predominant relevant regulations include:

• Health & Safety at Work Act, 1974
• Electricity at Work Regulations, 1989
• Provisions and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, 1992
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, 1998
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, 1999

Regulation 3 of the Electricity at Work Regulations specifies that employers and the self-employed are liable for the correct use and maintenance of all portable appliances at their place of work. Employers in this context include those people accountable for the management of offices, factories, shops, hospitals, universities, hotels and all other building used by the public.

A portable electrical appliance is defined as any electrical equipment that is powered between 40 and 240 volts and which is connected to the electrical mains via a flexible cable / plug and socket (usually a 13 amp outlet). It does not imply that the appliance is readily portable, only that it can be moved without unwiring. Portable electrical appliances owned by employees are occasionally brought to and used in the workplace. This policy applies to such appliances as if they were the property of the business.

Portable appliances are not just pieces of electrical equipment that require testing routinely. They include everyday appliances such as:

Computer Monitors (VDU)	Freezer units
Kettles	Vacuum Cleaners
Hand Drills	Televisions
Photocopiers	Video Recorders
Mobile Phone Chargers	Musical Instrument Amplifiers
Fridge units	PA systems

David Sykes Electrical always use a qualified electrician, who has the knowledge and practical experience of electricity and its hazards, to carry out both visual and electrical testing. Since the person must make judgements on the appropriate level of electrical appliance testing required, they must understand the operating principles of each portable appliance and have adequate knowledge of the relevant safety standards.

The Portable Appliance Testing that David Sykes Electrical offers is very extensive and covers appliance testing in all work environments. The tests fall into two categories:

  Visual Inspection
This is the most important element of portable appliance testing as over 80% of potential hazards are detected by physical inspection. The qualified electrician will be looking for hazards such as damage to the insulation of the appliance or the mains lead, incorrect wiring or fuse rating of the mains plug, unsafe cable joints, loose connections and accessible live conductors.

  Electrical Testing
The type of electrical testing performed on portable appliances depends on the safety design itself. Class I portable appliances are the most common type. It relies on earthing of its conductive case and one layer of insulation covering its live internal parts for its prevention against electric shock.

Class II appliances have no earth connection and rely on two layers of insulation that cover the live parts as protection to the user. Usually the second layer of insulation is the case of the appliance itself. All Class II equipment is physically inspected as a satisfactory test of Class II appliance safety.

The electrical tests carried out using the latest PAT equipment on each appliance includes:

• Earth Bond Testing
• Insulation Testing
• Flash Testing
• Load Testing
• Earth Leakage Testing
• Functional Checks

  Labelling
All equipment that is inspected and / or tested will be provided with a label that will include an identification code to enable the equipment to be uniquely identifiable even if several items exist within the same premises. An indication of whether the item has passed or failed the appropriate safety inspection and/or test will be included. The date on which re-testing is due or the last test date and re-test period will also be stated.

  Records
David Sykes Electrical keep full records of each piece of equipment with its unique number and full description for future traceability. A full ‘Status Report’ will be sent to the client indicating what equipment has passed or failed and when it is due for re-testing. Should we locate any failures we can avoid extra work by carrying out minor repairs as we find them such as replacing a plug, fuse or cable repairs.

The client will be notified of any items that fail the test and cannot be mended by a minor repair. Equipment found to be unsafe would be removed from site by the client or by David Sykes Electrical, as agreed. Any items requiring major repairs will always be quoted first. These repairable items will then be repaired on site or can be returned to our central workshop. Following a major repair we will issue a ‘Re-test Certificate Following Repair Report’.

David Sykes Electrical provides a comprehensive on-site Portable Appliance Testing Service that contains the following features:

• Free of charge initial site visits and survey.
• Testing based on per item or per site visit rate depending on the size of site and location.
• Annual or other long-term contracts.
• Complete and reliable PAT service using latest PAT testing equipment and software.
• Minimal disruption to client operations, with all testing done at appliance location.
• We are able to test all classes of portable equipment from construction to office including Information Technology class items such as PC’s, printers etc.
• We provide an appliance pass certificate and appliance register logbook on completion of testing.
• We provide a full management service, reminding clients when the next test is due etc.
• We are able to test over multiple sites and locations and are able to identify in the appliance logbook each appliance by floor, room, location etc.
• We are able, on return visits, to produce a not found register which can aid in tracing missing appliances, thefts etc.
• Unlike some companies we do not charge for replacing an incorrect rated fuse, rewiring a plug or supplying a certificate. However, if a new plug is required to replace a defective one, then a small charge is made.
• Items that fail the tests are either repaired on site or can be returned to our central workshop. Major repairs will always be quoted first.
• Clients are not left with equipment that they can no longer use.