What Is PAT Testing?

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Pat testing Durham  is a standardised way of checking electrical appliances are safe to use. While it isn’t a legal requirement, most health and safety laws encourage those responsible to test their equipment and carry out PAT testing where possible. The Electricity at Work Regulations, for example, outlines responsibilities around ensuring workplace electrical systems are kept free of hazards, and PAT testing is one of the best ways to check an appliance’s suitability.

What Items Need to Be PAT Tested?

Any piece of electrical equipment that isn’t part of a fixed installation and can be moved between locations, for instance a kettle or microwave, will need to be tested. The HSE recommends a formal visual inspection by staff followed by a manual test with a PAT tester. This will flag up the vast majority of problems, but a more in-depth and thorough test is needed for the most accurate results.

The rules on PAT testing are influenced by a wide variety of legislation and it’s down to the ‘duty holder’ (the person in charge of health and safety) to decide how often an appliance needs to be tested. They will also need to determine if they need to test every item on the premises or a select few depending on their risk assessment.

Most people will need to attend a training course in order to be competent in carrying out PAT testing. This will enable them to complete a test on their own or to pass the information onto someone else to carry out the testing for them.