Electrical Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)

PAT or portable appliance testing is an important part of any Health & Safety policy.

The Health & Safety Executive states that 25% of all reportable electrical accidents involve portable appliances. The Electricity at Work Regulations place a legal responsibility on employers, employees and self-employed persons to comply with the provisions of the regulations and take reasonably practicable steps to ensure that no danger results from the use of such equipment. This in effect requires the implementation of a systematic and regular program of maintenance, inspection and testing. The Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) places such an obligation in the following circumstances:

• 1. Where appliances are used by employees.
• 2. Where the public may use appliances in establishments such as hospitals, schools, hotels, shops etc.
• 3. Where appliances are supplied or hired.
• 4. Where appliances are repaired or serviced.

The level of inspection and testing required is dependant upon the risk of the appliance becoming faulty, which is in turn dependant upon the type of appliance, the nature of its use and the environment in which it is used.

Landlord Legal Requirements

Anyone who lets residential accommodation (such as houses, flats and bedsits, holiday homes, caravans and boats) as a business activity is required by law to ensure the equipment they supply as part of the tenancy is safe.

The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 requires that all mains electrical equipment (cookers, washing machines, kettles, etc), new or second-hand, supplied with the accommodation must be safe. Landlords therefore need to regularly maintain the electrical equipment they supply to ensure it is safe.

The supply of goods occurs at the time of the tenancy contract. It is, therefore, essential that property is checked prior to the tenancy to ensure that all goods supplied are in a safe condition. A record should be made of the goods supplied as part of the tenancy agreement and of checks made on those goods. The record should indicate who carried out the checks and when they did it.

It is strongly advisable to have the equipment checked before the start of each let. It would be good practice to have the equipment checked at regular intervals thereafter. You should obtain and retain test reports detailing the equipment, the tests carried out and the results.

LandlordZONE: esource site and portal for Landlords, Tenants and Letting Agents - Residential and Commercial Properties www.landlordzone.co.uk

Legal Requirements

The legislation of specific relevance to electrical maintenance is the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

The frequency of tests depends on the nature and use of the appliances (6 months – 5 years). Our Portable Appliance Testing Service follows the Institution of Electrical Engineers Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment.

Our fully qualified test engineers will carry out the recommended testing with the minimum amount of disruption to your staff and business. If required out of hours testing can be arranged.

Going to University? Students taking their electrical equipment with them to University accommodation are required to show that the equipment has been tested - if you live in East Sussex or are attending University in East Sussex we offer a special student discount rate for PAT.

Our testing is not confined to a visual and plug check as each appliance is subject to a:

• Preliminary testing
• Earth continuity tests (for Class 1 equipment)
• Insulation testing
• Load current
• Polarity check
• Functional checks

Why use Certelec for your Portable Appliance Testing

• Updated and calibrated annually test equipment to ensure accurate test results
• Computer technology that captures all data at source
• Faster and more accurate reporting
• Detailed reports that are available immediately data is uploaded
• Tests that can be performed quickly and in a cost-competitive manner
• Each tested appliance has a barcoded label attached with the date and pass showing clearly
• Appliances which fail will be taken out of service and have a ‘Fail’ label attached
• Certelec can offer an asset management database if required

Documentation which can be provided by Certelec Ltd includes:

• A complete report containing all test results for each appliance
• A PAT certificate showing equipment which has passed
• A separate document showing equipment which has failed
• An inventory of all appliances for your records
• A display certificate for your workplace
• Notification and advice of the future tests needed

Costs

The cost of the full portable appliance testing service is dependent on the amount of electrical equipment that needs testing. Discounts may be offered for repeat business (where our barcodes are already in place), contracts, or for multiple locations.
We offer your business a FREE site assessment. Our specialist will contact you to review your inventory of electrical appliances and confirm the type of inspection and testing programme you need to have in place to fully meet your legal obligations.