Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 

What is PAT Testing ?

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is an important part of a company's or individual's responsibility to health and safety. This is done using a series of specialised testing procedures on your portable appliances.

 

Is Portable Appliance Testing a legal requirement ?

It is a statutory requirement and many insurance companies require the insured to comply with all current regulations. This includes the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, which state that "As may be necessary to prevent danger, all systems shall be maintained so as to prevent, so far as reasonably practicable, such danger" (Regulation 4(2)). "Electrical equipment includes anything used, intended to be used or installed for use, to generate, provide, transmit, transform, rectify, convert, conduct, distribute, control, store, measure or use electrical energy." (Regulation 2(1)).

The responsibility on the employer to ensure work equipment is safe is also covered by The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. This states that "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)). This includes all work equipment (fixed, portable or transportable) connected to a source of electrical energy."

Failure to comply with Electrical Regulations can lead to a maximum penalty of a £5,000 fine and/or up to six months imprisonment. For breaches under the general duties of the Health Safety at Work Act 1974, penalties of up to £20,000 were introduced in 1992 and offences heard on indictment in the Crown Court attract unlimited financial penalties and up to two years imprisonment.

 

Could one of my employees carry out the testing in house ?

Although you may believe that purchasing your own Portable Appliance Test instrument and having in-house staff carry out the portable appliance testing may be more cost effective, there are several factors to bear in mind.

Firstly, you would need to ensure that the requirement of competence is met, which will undoubtedly involve expenditure in training.

Secondly, you need to purchase the equipment and the software, and gain the expertise in its use. We find that many companies who have tried to carry out testing in-house also take more time to do the electrical testing as the staff generally only do this as part of their main job, and do not have the experience to minimise the disruption factor in shutting down equipment.

We have also worked on many sites where there has been a employee qualified in testing, particularly schools but that person is rarely allowed the time to set up a regular test programme because of other work commitments, or there is an unwillingness to accept the burden of responsibility should an appliance fail or accident occur, there can also be monetary reasons for their reluctance.

There may also be a tendency to "pass" appliances that may present a potential hazard, as it would mean taking the appliance out of commission.

All of our test engineers are trained to meet the current recommendations. This is our core business and we firmly believe that we can carry out the Portable Appliance Testing at your premises in the most cost-effective manner, whilst our experience helps to minimise the disruption to you and your staff.

 

How much will it cost ?

Pricing is based on a per item cost but can be as low as 61p depending on the quantity, minor repairs to appliances and the supply and/or fitting of materials e.g. new plugs, correctly rated fuse, rewiring plug top etc. are all free and part of our service.

Why not get a free quote by calling us or filling out the “Free quote” form?.

 

How long does testing take ?.

This is dependant on the working environment and the accessibility of the equipment to be tested, every job from day to day can be different, bringing new challenges and a number of factors must be considered.

In a general office environment, 200 to 250 tests can be achieved in the course of an 8 hour day.

 

How are test reports supplied ? Do we get a certificate ?

Test reports are supplied to the client in electronic format as a PDF (portable document format) this reduces the need for paper and the associated storage problems that some customers have, electronic storage and retrieval is now an accepted and in some cases preferred practice, these can of course be printed by the client if they prefer it.

Clients are also supplied with a certificate which can be displayed in their reception or elsewhere on site.

Sherwood Electrical Testing also retain results of all tests in the event that clients require further copies.

 

Will testing cause disruption ?

The test engineer will make every effort to be discreet & during Portable appliance Testing we try to minimise any disruption by only disconnecting items as we test them.  

We can work outside of business hours or at weekends if this helps.

 

 

 

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.