The Importance of PAT Testing In Your Business

If you are a business owner, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 make it your responsibility to ensure that all the electrical equipment in your premises is safe to use, and unless you are a qualified electrician and ideally the holder of a City & Guilds 2377-22 certification in PAT testing or higher, you cannot do this satisfactorily. You would also have to purchase a PAT testing machine which has to be calibrated annually and labels to generate reports.

PAT testing – Portable Appliance Testing – basically applies to anything at all on your premises that has a plug. So it covers your copiers, kettle, IT equipment, fixed equipment, moveable equipment under 18kg, hand held equipment, and so on.

All of this means that you need to have your electrical equipment inspected and tested regularly by a qualified engineer who can issue you with a PAT testing certificate, assuming that your equipment passes the test.    

Oddly enough, although the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 make it your responsibility to ensure your equipment is safe to use, they do not state how often it needs to be tested. However, there are recommendations, and these will depend on the type of equipment and the regularity of use.

Class 1 equipment has basic insulation and requires an earth. Examples of Class 1 equipment are kettles, toasters, heaters, fridges, irons, microwaves, washing machines, stationary equipment, IT equipment and so on. Class 2 equipment has supplementary insulation and does not rely on an earth for protections. Examples are TV’s, power tools, hair dryers, DVD players, and so on.

In offices, shops, and hotels, Class 1 equipment should be tested every 48 months, portable equipment every 24 months, and hand-held equipment every 12 months. In schools, Class 1 equipment should be tested every 12 months and Class 2 equipment every 48 months.

Industrial sites, including commercial kitchens, should have portable and hand-held equipment tested every 6 months, and stationary, IT, and moveable equipment every 12 months. All 110v equipment on construction sites should be tested every 3 months in order to receive a PAT testing certificate.