Why PAT test?

[digdilem]

Not all circuits are RCD protected, and you cannot guarantee the item won't be moved to such a circuit.

I work for a charity, and I self-taught myself (with the aid of an online course, dvd and test) and we now have three trained pat testers. It's not difficult, the modern test tools can be very simple to use, and most of it is common sense. (Time aside, the training can be as cheap as £50 per person, but you would probably need some experience and it's not as thorough as a real person teaching you face to face)

And I too have found some really bad and dangerous faults. (Often cable damage, loose wires, overheating plugs, etc etc). The vast majority of fails are during the visual inspection.

I think it's worth doing and having a system in place does make the H&S people and your insurers much happier, as well as actually making things a bit safer for your employees, making them feel valued and so on.

We also sell second hand electrical items to raise funds and of course these also need testing.

 

[surreal]

Running a small office for a Charity, we have recently rewired with new CU and possess the usual collection of small domestic type equipment. (kitchen kettles etc, computers and vacuum cleaners.) The PAT test at £2-50 per item, (£5 per item when the cable is tested) seems a bit of a waste of time, as the purpose is to protect the workforce and I thought this would be achieved via the RDC protection.
Only our equipment is on the premises and it may not be removed

You can do your own PAT, you are under no legal obligation to use an outsider.

A visual check is all that is needed in a simple office environment.

You will probably have been told that you need PAT annually, again this is not true.

Although you are 100% correct, you'll struggle to convince most of the posters in here Most would rather read the IEE's guide into how to rip customers off than the actual regulations.

 

[joinerjohn]

Although you'll hear from some people that PAT testing needs to be done yearly,,, As a previous poster has mentioned, the frequency of PAT testing is dependent upon the use of the equipment and the environment in which they are used. Site tools should in fact be PAT tested every 3 months, whereas office equipment probably could be done on a 24 month basis. Most factories and offices will have PAT testing done on a yearly basis, simply because it's easy to remember when things were last done (and ensure everything is done at the same time)

PS , Out of the items you mention, I reckon the vacuum cleaner would benefit from a 6 monthly visual inspection as a minimum (trailing cables are always prone to wear and tear)

 

[surreal]

Although you'll hear from some people that PAT testing needs to be done yearly,,, As a previous poster has mentioned, the frequency of PAT testing is dependent upon the use of the equipment and the environment in which they are used. Site tools should in fact be PAT tested every 3 months, whereas office equipment probably could be done on a 24 month basis. Most factories and offices will have PAT testing done on a yearly basis, simply because it's easy to remember when things were last done (and ensure everything is done at the same time)

PS , Out of the items you mention, I reckon the vacuum cleaner would benefit from a 6 monthly visual inspection as a minimum (trailing cables are always prone to wear and tear)

You really should read before you post....

And if you think your vacuum cleaner cables are prone to damage you decide the inspection intervals, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month..it's your call boss

 

[Spark123]

You can do your own PAT, you are under no legal obligation to use an outsider.

You are still legally obliged to use someone who is competent to do the job. How you show competence is up to you, it usually involves training.
You should also note that your insurance company is likely to have a say in this.

A visual check is all that is needed in a simple office environment.

Absolute rubbish, even the HSE guidance says otherwise.

 

[cumbriahandyman]

Absolute rubbish, even the HSE guidance says otherwise.

HSE’s advice is that for most office electrical equipment, visual checks for obvious signs of damage and perhaps simple tests by a competent member of staff are quite sufficient.

For the most part, visually inspect it. By concentrating on a simple inexpensive system of looking for visible signs of damage or faults, and putting them right, you will prevent most electrical accidents from occurring.

I don't want to get into a drawn out discussion on the subject and I would always do more than a visual inspection, but at the end of the day, in a low risk office environment...

 

[digdilem]

You can do your own PAT, you are under no legal obligation to use an outsider.

You are still legally obliged to use someone who is competent to do the job. How you show competence is up to you, it usually involves training.
You should also note that your insurance company is likely to have a say in this.

A visual check is all that is needed in a simple office environment.

Absolute rubbish, even the HSE guidance says otherwise.

A visual inspection is not a pat test.

Nobody seems to have mentioned the NEED to document your tests as well as label. If somebody does get hurt and it's your arse on the line, you will want to be able to reach into a filing cabinet and provide proof it was checked, by whom, on what date, and that you have considered the retesting period.

(I actually hate the HSE vagueness for intervals, leaving it up to you. Why can't they just say "A monitor - 3 years" or "Power tool, 3 months" instead of making you try and figure it out yourself from wildly conflicting information?)

 

[cumbriahandyman]

A visual inspection is not a pat test.

Nobody seems to have mentioned the NEED to document your tests as well as label. If somebody does get hurt and it's your a**e on the line, you will want to be able to reach into a filing cabinet and provide proof it was checked, by whom, on what date, and that you have considered the retesting period.

(I actually hate the HSE vagueness for intervals, leaving it up to you. Why can't they just say "A monitor - 3 years" or "Power tool, 3 months" instead of making you try and figure it out yourself from wildly conflicting information?)

Let's not get off topic, the OP had a small office with no mention of any powertools.

Five seconds after a PAT a lead could become damaged so having a record of a test will not prevent an accident.

There is no need for any labels or a record of a PAT. But it would be really silly not to keep any records.

Being prescriptive with when to do tests would be counter productive. If a guide states test monitor leads every three years, it is likely that it will only happen every three years.

If a monitor is moved, it's lead could be damaged, so it should be visually inspected at its new location before being used.

 

[bernardgreen]

(I actually hate the HSE vagueness for intervals, leaving it up to you. Why can't they just say "A monitor - 3 years" or "Power tool, 3 months" instead of making you try and figure it out yourself from wildly conflicting information?)

Suppose the HSE were precise and defined exactly which intervals were to be used. Then some equipment is purchased which degrades to the point of being a hazard in a period less than the prescribed interval.

Someone is then hurt by that hazard. The equipment owner and the PAT operator are in the clear. The HSE however could be said to have created the dangerous situation by prescribing an interval that was too long.

So the HSE avoid setting intervals.

Likewise manufacturer's instructions are often required to override guidelines from "government" and "safety" organisations in order that the manufacturers can be made to take the blame when things go wrong when their equipment is used.

 

[joinerjohn]

Just to add to the woes of PAT testing then. How many PAT test a brand new appliance? Should you have to PAT test a new appliance or do you trust the manufacturer? Would you wait, let's say a year before testing an appliance bought from new?
Years ago I was working on a building site and bought a new Metabo SDS+ Drill. On the first morning using it, the H&S chap told me it had to be tested. I'd probably only used it for less than 5 minutes in total.

 

[TonyW2]

Wow!
What a hornets' nest.
I did not intend to provoke such debate, but was mainly interested in why an RCD did not provide all the protection needed, in a low risk environment.
It seems that if the RCD is checked, then no "worker" would suffer anything more than a very short shock. Thus so long as that would not have any knock on effect, their safety is ensured.
Hence it still seems that a PAT test adds no useful additional protection.
Thanks though for all the interest and thought provoking comments.

In realistic terms, though, none of our volunteers do PAT tests at home and we all consider that the premises are no different to our domestic environment!

 

[STI]

Joinerjohn, Its down to the companies policies, if they want it tested before being used then yes i do.

For landlords lets etc i ask them what they want doing i suggest if its over 3 months old it should be tested or if there are obvious signs of "agressive" use even if less than 3 months test it.

I have found brand new appliances with terminal screws missing in the plug top even though the manufacturers seal is in place.

 

[STI]

Wow!
What a hornets' nest.
I did not intend to provoke such debate, but was mainly interested in why an RCD did not provide all the protection needed, in a low risk environment.
It seems that if the RCD is checked, then no "worker" would suffer anything more than a very short shock. Thus so long as that would not have any knock on effect, their safety is ensured.
Hence it still seems that a PAT test adds no useful additional protection.
Thanks though for all the interest and thought provoking comments.

In realistic terms, though, none of our volunteers do PAT tests at home and we all consider that the premises are no different to our domestic environment!

Not sure if youre saying we wont bother then. If you are then again what if the earth wire is not connected in the appliance, what if the neutral is loose and the plug top is getting hot. What if the appliance is moved to an none RCD circuit. A VERY SHORT SHOCK AS YOU PUT IT CAN STILL KILL!

 

[TonyW2]

Ignoring it is not an option.
I'm thinking that sensible visual and manual inspection should be adequate.
If the plug is getting hot, then 12 to 48 month PAT test would not help.
If the earth is not connected, then this would be shown by checking the plug, or it being a sealed unit, and again a PAT test would only be beneficial if done before a new item was put into use.
Alternatively, we just pay-up and try to pass the buck, as I cannot see that we actually achieve anything else.

 

[cumbriahandyman]

Wow!
What a hornets' nest.
I did not intend to provoke such debate, but was mainly interested in why an RCD did not provide all the protection needed, in a low risk environment.
It seems that if the RCD is checked, then no "worker" would suffer anything more than a very short shock. Thus so long as that would not have any knock on effect, their safety is ensured.
Hence it still seems that a PAT test adds no useful additional protection.
Thanks though for all the interest and thought provoking comments.

In realistic terms, though, none of our volunteers do PAT tests at home and we all consider that the premises are no different to our domestic environment!

The home is not a workplace (usually) so they can't be compared like for like.

You as the office manager have legal responsibilities for the Health, Safety and welfare of your staff. So whichever road you go down, get the PAT done.