Portable Appliance Testing (P. A. T.) megathread

[BuildingCare]

Hi we can offer you a quote

[Pinnacle PAT]

Take them HSS tool hire etc......they will do an over the counter service

[choogling]

I have always known P.A.T test to be largely unnecessary and a money for old rope semiskilled job now business can save a small fortune every year by following the guidance in this article from the Sheffield star.

 

Published on Friday 4 May 2012 09:02

 

UNNECESSARY electrical safety tests are costing businesses an estimated £30m a year, according to health and safety chiefs.

 

The Health and Safety Executive has launched a campaign to explode the myth that every portable electrical appliance in the workplace needs to be tested once a year.

Misleading advice and advertising, often by companies who offer portable appliance testing (PAT), is contributing to low-risk businesses such as offices, shops and hotels paying unnecessarily for over-the-top maintenance regimes, it says.

The law simply requires an employer to ensure equipment is maintained – it does not state that every item has to be tested or how often testing needs to be carried out. In a low-risk environment most dangerous defects can be found simply by checking the appliances for obvious signs of damage such as frayed cables.

HSE chair Judith Hackitt said: “We know that low-risk companies are being misled over what the law requires when it comes to maintaining portable electrical appliances, and many are paying for testing that is not needed.

“Businesses are responsible for protecting their employees, but they shouldn’t be wasting their money on unnecessary checks that have no real benefit.

“HSE has always advocated a proportionate, risk-based approach to maintenance. This guidance is simple to follow.”

Nick Starling, director of general insurance at the Association of British Insurers, said: “Insurers have never required policyholders to undertake unnecessary portable electrical appliance tests which are not proportionate to the risk. We welcome HSE’s guidance, which will help businesses focus on what they do best, free from worries about health and safety myths.”

[dogsneck]

I think the main factor is the proportion to risk. A factory or building site, using lots of trailing leads will have a bigger risk than say an office. If you search on the IET site you will find a guidance note giving the frequency of testing for different situations. I think a lot of scaremongering is used by PAT companies and not enough real customer service.

[steveh]

It's never been required and is just an easy way for companies to tick a box. If it was my company/money in a simple environment then I'd record visual checks and that would be enough.

[dogsneck]

In a simple enviroment then it may be required less frequently than a high risk situation. It is a recomendation, so if an accident happened and your insurance company asked for your PAT certs, do you think you would be covered.

[Paddy]

In a simple enviroment then it may be required less frequently than a high risk situation. It is a recomendation, so if an accident happened and your insurance company asked for your PAT certs, do you think you would be covered.

 

You work for a PAT company don't you? Lol.

 

As there is no law stating that equipment has to be PAT tested, just to ensure that it is maintained then I can't see how an insurance company could ask to see these. So long as you kept records stating when the equipment was last visually inspected for damage then I think you would be ok.

[steveh]

In a simple enviroment then it may be required less frequently than a high risk situation. It is a recomendation, so if an accident happened and your insurance company asked for your PAT certs, do you think you would be covered.

 

Pat testing is not a recommendation! It is only recommended that you should do something with electrical appliances.

[muddycoffee]

In a simple enviroment then it may be required less frequently than a high risk situation. It is a recomendation, so if an accident happened and your insurance company asked for your PAT certs, do you think you would be covered.

 

PAT Certs ?

 

That's a fancy name for those tested labels they put on the plugs. From most PAT test companies all you get is an invoice.

[dogsneck]

PAT Certs ?

 

That's a fancy name for those tested labels they put on the plugs. From most PAT test companies all you get is an invoice.

 

No a PAT cert is a list of all the equipment that has been tested, then each item has its own sticker which is numbered, and can be cross referenced against the cert.