We carry out low cost PAT Testing for Landlords and Letting agents as well as small and medium sized businesses throughout Bristol and surrounding areas. By serving businesses locally as Avon PAT Testers, Bath PAT Testers and PAT Tester in Bristol we can provide a low cost portable appliance testing service to local businesses enabling us to keep our travel and overhead costs down which inevitably helps Bristol PAT Testing stand out from our competitors.
What is PAT Testing?
PAT stands for Portable appliance testing and is an important part of any health and safety policy.
There are 4 main sets of legislation that are applicable to inspection and testing of in-service electrical equipment.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Act Regulations 1999
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
The Health and 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 also self employed persons, to comply with the provisions of the regulations and take reasonable steps to ensure that there poses no danger from the use of equipment. Therefore this means that implementation of a systematic program of maintenance, inspection and repair should be maintained.
Is PAT Testing just for employers?
No, the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) places such an obligation on employers where appliances are used by employees, where the public may use appliances in places such as schools, hotels, shops etc. On places where appliances are supplied or hired and where appliances are repaired and serviced.
It is clear that there is a requirement to inspect and test all types of electrical equipment in all work situations
What is the IEE Code of Practice?
The IEEC stands for the Institution of Electrical Engineers, which publish the code of Practice for In-service Inspection and testing of electrical equipment.
What does the PAT Test involve?
The IEE code of Practice recognises 4 different test situations:
Type Testing to an appropriate standard
Production Testing
In Service Testing
Testing after repair
In service testing will involve:
Preliminary inspection
Earth continuity test (for Class 1 equipment)
Insulation Testing(which may sometimes be earth leakage measurement)
Functional checks
We carry out low cost PAT Testing for Landlords and Letting agents as well as small and medium sized businesses throughout Bristol and surrounding areas. By serving businesses locally as Avon PAT Testers, Bath PAT Testers and PAT Tester in Bristol we can provide a low cost portable appliance testing service to local businesses enabling us to keep our travel and overhead costs down which inevitably helps Bristol PAT Testing stand out from our competitors.
Who can carry out a PAT Test?
Ideally a qualified and approved PAT Tester, however Electrical PAT Testing should be carried out by a person who is competent in the safe use of the test equipment and who can interpret the test results. The person must be capable of inspecting the equipment and if necessary able to check cable connections. Bristol PAT Testing PAT Testers adheres strictly to the IEE Code of Practice.
All businesses should appoint a 'responsible person' who will be a duty holder to whom staff and outside contractors should report any faults or suspected defects to. The responsible person should carry out an inventory of all equipment that may need testing and inspecting. The responsible person should have a PAT Testing procedure in place, and a procedure for all users of electrical equipment to report any defective appliance.
Several records should be maintained for example an equipment register containing all details of equipment that may need to be inspected and tested, the results of formal visual inspection or combined inspection and testing and details of fault equipment taken out of service and sent for repair. Previous records must be kept and made available to any persons conducting routine inspection and testing of inservice electrical equipment.