How to Conduct a PAT Test in Your Establishment

As most of us know, it is an employer’s responsibility to ensure that electrical equipment in their establishment is safe to use. This is why pat test uk is such an important process for businesses. Having an effective pat test regime in place can help to reduce the risk of fires or accidents caused by faulty equipment, which can lead to expensive repairs or even loss of business.

PAT testing is not a legal requirement in the UK but many health and safety laws state that an employer must ensure that their equipment does not pose a risk to anyone. This means that a pat test is a sensible way of helping to achieve this and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has guidelines available online which suggest the testing frequency that should be applied for different types of equipment. These guidelines will take into account the class of the appliance, how frequently it is used and whether people using the equipment regularly report any damage or abrasions to the outer casing.

Navigating PAT Testing in the UK: What You Need to Know

The HSE recommends that a visual inspection is carried out on all appliances before they are plugged in and a pat test conducted once every 12 months. However, the frequency of testing can be reduced to once per year if there is no evidence of damage or abrasions to the external casing. Choosing the right pat tester is also an important consideration. There is a wide range of devices on the market that differ by size, portability, ability to download results and communicate with printers and scanners, flash testing and risk-based retest calculators. A popular downloadable pat tester is the Kewtech Smartpat and it is worth considering spending more on a device that will have a wider range of functionality as this will speed up testing times and reduce error rates.