mammybear Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 the pat testing at work expired in 2008 i just wondered why the health and safety officer when he visited did not pick up on it. also the insurance rep came round to check on things and he too did not notice it just seems like a waste of time to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahame Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 the pat testing at work expired in 2008 i just wondered why the health and safety officer when he visited did not pick up on it. also the insurance rep came round to check on things and he too did not notice it just seems like a waste of time to me. Then I don't know what to say, if it were me I would have it done for my own peace of mind. One thing I do know is that if the appliance is encased in plastic and the cable is not damaged or anything else and there are no screws missing and it has the correct fuse in it then it does not need to be PAT tested. This is called a visual inspection by the way. Mind you I don't have any qualifications in this area so don't take my word as gospel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dosxuk Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Then I don't know what to say, if it were me I would have it done for my own peace of mind. One thing I do know is that if the appliance is encased in plastic and the cable is not damaged or anything else and there are no screws missing and it has the correct fuse in it then it does not need to be PAT tested. This is called a visual inspection by the way. Mind you I don't have any qualifications in this area so don't take my word as gospel. A visual inspection is part of a PAT. There are defined classes of equipment, based on their electrical and mechanical design which have different testing requirements. A visual inspection is one test common to all classes, and often something taught to users of high risk equipment to carry out themselves before using said equipment. @The OP - if nothing's been tested in 3 years (possibly more if the 2008 date is the retest date), then the chances of the equipment being potentially dangerous are far higher than you should be subjected to. Have you consulted your managers? You are required to bring things like this to their attention under H&S law. If you have and they have ignored you, there are other avenues you can take, up to and including contacting the HSE. Unless your company has taken (and recorded) other measures to ensure equipment you use is safe, they are breaking the law, and in the event of an incident could result in some serious fines and possibly even imprisonment for those judged responsible for the failings. Finally, you are also within your rights to refuse to use any equipment which you don't feel is safe for you to use (either as a result of your abilities (e.g. training) or the state of the equipment (e.g. damaged / looks unsafe / hasn't been tested / doesn't meet the requirements of the job). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mammybear Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 thanks dosxuk that makes it clearer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRTTesting Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I'm gonna throw my 2 penneth into the mix and before I do may I just say I'm not touting for work. Having said that, I'm not turning it down either There is NO legal requirement to have equipment PAT tested. There are however Health and Safety regs to satisfy. PAT testing is the most common way of satisfying the regulations and keeping a record of inspections taking place. If you would like a full run down of the H&S regulations which PAT testing satisfies, feel free to look on my website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinnacle PAT Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 All that the HSE want to see is you taken all reasonable steps to ensure that your electrical items are safe.. They dont say "You must items PAT Tested" but theres no real way of doing what they ask without having the PAT Tested. Its all very much a grey area and makes us, a testing company, sound like we dont really know what we are on about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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