What items or Appliances need to be tested?

It is all too easy to take electrical appliances for granted as indeed we frequently do during a normal working day but the risks and penalties for doing this remain the same.

The computer you are using to read this information if used in conjunction with your business is just one example! Maybe you have a desk light on the corner of the desk? A printer also? A Fax machine? Radio and Electric Kettle?  From this you can see how quickly the risks can mount up, all items that we use daily without giving much thought as they form part of a normal working day. Normally all will also work or perform perfectly well and as expected but there is the duty of all employers to ensure that they continue to do so, in a safe manner and without causing risk or danger to others. This is where a regular programme or inspection and testing must be employed in order to identify any required maintenance.

It is unfortunate that the term Portable Appliance Testing "PAT" for short is often misunderstood or misinterpreted. This is often perceived to mean an item that is Portable i.e. something that is "Hand-Held" in use or possibly carried from place to place in operation and that larger items simply do not require testing. Whilst it does cover both Items that are "hand-held" and portable is also covers other larger appliances too. A portable appliance  is deemed to be less than 18kg in mass and is intended to be moved whilst in operation. Stationary equipment or appliances that have a mass exceeding 18kg also require the same tests to be applied to them as do some fixed and built in appliances.

So as can be seen, it is not simply just portable appliances that have to be inspected and tested, but all in-service electrical equipment. This includes items connected to the power supply by 13A BS1363 plugs, the type of which we are all familiar with in day-to-day use. BS EN 60309-2 industrial plugs or appliances that are "Hard wired" or connected to the fixed installation or power supply by means of fused connection units or isolators.

Some examples of the latter may be heating appliances, electric wall clocks, fans and ventilation units, Hand dryers, Vending machines, Commercial Kitchen appliances and other Catering items etc etc

Therefore it can be seen from the above that sometimes items that require testing and inspection can be overlooked due to the fact that the person carrying out the testing does not have sufficient knowledge or experience in this field. This is where the experience of a specialist company such as ours is able to help. Using the vast amount of information, knowledge and experience that has been gained through many years of testing we are able to ensure that during the assessment or test & inspection programme all relevant and applicable appliances are identified and tested as required.

There is often an area of confusion over appliances that are connected directly to the mains or power supply, especially large industrial equipment. Although these appliances may not come under the definition of 'portable appliance' they do still need to be subject to the same policy of inspection and testing. We can of course provide further advice in this case, and can organise inspections from specialist electrical engineers or contractors if required.

Does an item of "New Equipment" also need to be tested?

Another grey area as many people hold conflicting views over this subject with some saying Yes and others claiming No.

The Facts:

It would be true and fair to say that the majority of electrical items have been tested by the manufacturer in a much more stringent process than that which is carried out during the PAT process. However I am sure that many of us have bought an item at some point only to find out that it has to be returned due to it having some sort of fault as soon as it has been unpacked. This alone dispels the myth that all "New appliances" are safe as it is clear from this that some faults or damage can occur during packaging and transportation of any goods and to assume that something is safe to use based on the fact that it is due to it being new is exactly that, an assumption.

Assumptions rarely stand up in a court of law! Rather they prefer to act on hard facts and evidence.

Further to this there is The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 which states:

"Every employer shall ensure that work equipment is so constructed or adapted as to be suitable for the purpose for which it is used or provided". (Regulation 4(1)

The PUWER 1998 requires that all work equipment be constructed in such a way to ensure that it is suitable for the purpose for which it was intended to be used. The responsibility for ensuring that this requirement is met is that of the employer.

So where does that leave me?

Well, really providing that you buy your equipment from a reputable supplier ensuring that it conforms to all required BS and other standards and then perform a thorough visual and operational test prior to commissioning the appliance into use this will in the majority of cases in be sufficient. 

It would then be deemed to be good practice at this time to add this "New Appliance" to your equipment register so as it is able to be included in your programme of inspection and testing.

The exceptions to the above would really be if you have purchased an item that is to be used in one of the higher risk categories requiring more frequent testing than that which you currently undertake or have in place. If you are unsure or feel that this may be true then we would ask you to contact us in order that the situation can be assessed and the correct programme of inspection and testing be adopted as appropriate.

Experience has shown that being cautious rarely causes problems whereas being complacent has the opposite effect..

What is not tested?

Portable appliance testing does not cover the safety of the wiring installation of the premises and this should be treated as a separate item that still requires inspection and testing to be carried out by a specialist contractor.

It is all too easy to take these items for granted as indeed we frequently do during a normal working day but the risks and penalties for doing this remain the same.

The computer you are using to read this information if used in conjunction with your business is just one example! Maybe you have a desk light on the corner of the desk? A printer also? A Fax machine? Radio and Electric Kettle?  From this you can see how quickly the risks can mount up, all items that we use daily without giving much thought as they form part of a normal working day. Normally all will also work or perform perfectly well and as expected but there is the duty of all employers to ensure that they continue to do so and in a safe manner. This is where a regular programme of inspection and testing must be employed.

YOUR SAFETY IS OUR CONCERN