PAT Testing - needed for every leccy device?

Andy_L

"I've been told that, by law, I must have my portable electrical appliances tested every year. Is this correct?

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require that any electrical equipment that has the potential to cause injury is maintained in a safe condition. However, the Regulations do not specify what needs to be done, by whom or how frequently (ie they don't make inspection or testing of electrical appliances a legal requirement, nor do they make it a legal requirement to undertake this annually)."


"Is Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) compulsory?

No. The law simply requires an employer to ensure that their electrical equipment is maintained in order to prevent danger. It does not say how this should be done or how often. Employers should take a risk-based approach, considering the type of equipment and what it is being used for. If it is used regularly and moved a lot eg a floor cleaner or a kettle, testing (along with visual checks) can be an important part of an effective maintenance regime giving employers confidence that they are doing what is necessary to help them meet their legal duties. HSE provides guidance on how to maintain equipment including the use of PAT."
https://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/faq-portable-appliance-testing.htm

marlot

Mistral001 said:

Nearly all charity shops I go into have PAT tested labels on all their electrical goods, but as far as I know there is no requirement to do this in law.  Even lamps which are selling for a fiver have the labels.  A PAT test probably costs more than that.  My guess is that their insurance might require them to do this. 

I PAT test for a local charity.  I don't charge for my time.

They would not sell the items without testing - not because they believe in PAT testing per se, but it does allow them to be sure the items are safe for the buyer to use.  I think it's also a requirement of their insurance.

Maybe one item in 50 is dangerous, so it's worth doing.  

marlot

In relation to a business (which I also do testing for), Andy_L above is correct - PAT is a convenient tool for employers to show that they've taken steps to keep things safe.  I maintain a record of the items I've tested, any repairs I've made, and the electrical values.  I test items in the workshops every six months, through to fixed equipment in the offices every four years.  We have a written policy which sets out the frequency for each category.

MattMattMattUK

We have everything tested every year at my companies, I maintain a database of all company items and anything that is purchased in the year is logged as new with a tag and then tested on the annual test, the PAT guy said that there is no issue with not testing a new item provided it is bought from a reputable supplier and appears undamaged. He charges £0.45 per item and a callout fee of £60, I only have 40 items however I organise it with a bunch of other companies in the same building and so he does several hundred over the course of the day, he then pro-ratas the invoice over all items issues each company with an individual invoice. Easy enough to do, in a well organised, tidy office it is not any real inconvenience. 

FFHillbilly

I'm sure phone chargers, transformers incorporated into moulded plugs and the like are exempt from actual tests as there's nothing to actually test, so it's just a visual inspection required which really anyone with a pair of eyes is qualified to do

ThisIsWeird

Thanks all, especially Andy.

I am happy to help out with this, but - man - it has become a genuine pita. Three large tables laid out in the main hall. Everything brought through from all the other rooms - printers, PCs, torch chargers, you name it - dozens of items.

The extra hassle of taking the mini-mountains to Mo' was to help the guy doing the testing, as he didn't charge us - very decent of him, as with Marlot.

I have no issues with items that are physically moved around in use, or have metal parts. But d-i PC PSUs that sit in one place all year? Lawdie.

I did have a moan last year, but the chair said - rightly, I guess - "but what if..."

Alanp

I work in a care home, I have to pat test everything with a plug once a year, there’s no legal requirement to pat test, there’s even no legal requirement to put a pass label on it, the pat tester I have enables me to test class 1 and class 2 equipment, even extension leads

Risteard

MattMattMattUK said:

We have everything tested every year at my companies, I maintain a database of all company items and anything that is purchased in the year is logged as new with a tag and then tested on the annual test, the PAT guy said that there is no issue with not testing a new item provided it is bought from a reputable supplier and appears undamaged. He charges £0.45 per item and a callout fee of £60, I only have 40 items however I organise it with a bunch of other companies in the same building and so he does several hundred over the course of the day, he then pro-ratas the invoice over all items issues each company with an individual invoice. Easy enough to do, in a well organised, tidy office it is not any real inconvenience. 

45p won't ensure much care. We charge around £4 per asset plus call-out charge.

ThisIsWeird

Oooh, £4 sounds much safer than 45pee to me

ThisIsWeird

MattMattMattUK said:

Easy enough to do, in a well organised, tidy office it is not any real inconvenience. 

That's my issue. It is in this case.
The guy offers his free services, so we got into the habit of setting him up to be as painless for him as possible - all well intentioned and noble, of course.
This is run by unpaid volunteer staff, giving up their time, me included. I'm happy to do useful, tangible stuff (like others, I couldn't begin to list all of the build and repair jobs I've done for them over more than a decade), but - man - so much of it is soooo mindlessly time-consuming that it risks goodwill.
Tediousness is often part of the package - lawdie, checking fire extinguishers, the fire alarm, the safety lights - all mind numbing BUT these are clearly important and of value, so that's fine. But I know that crawling under desks to unplug, unfurl and transfer a printer's d-i PSU for PATing is nuts. As it is for every other such device. 
Sigh. A rant, really