© 2010 P & R Services (Southampton) Ltd. Unit 4 Westlink, Belbins Business Park, Romsey, Hampshire. SO51 7AA
Your Safety
Is
Our Business
What needs PAT testing?
Any electrical appliance that is fitted with a plug is required to be tested on a regular basis to ensure that it is in a safe working condition. The best way to ensure the equipments safety is to carry out a Portable Appliance Test.
Should the equipment be labeled?
Each appliance should be suitably marked to record
the examination date or display the date for retesting and the result of the test
(pass or fail)
How often should testing be carried out ?
The IEE (Institute of Electrical Engineers)
have laid down a guide line for frequency of testing of electrical equipment. This
can be found in the IEE Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of
Electrical Equipment. A summary of the suggested frequencies is to be found in the
attached table
What is the PAT test?
The portable appliance test is a series of checks carried out
on the equipment to check its safety aspects are up to the required standard. The
tests carried out are as follow;
-
Visual inspection - the equipment is checked for signs of any visible damage such
as cracked plugs or split cable
-
Earth continuity - equipment is checked to ensure that it has a satisfactory earth
connection
-
Insulation - equipment is checked to ensure the insulation of the equipment is satisfactory
-
Leakage - equipment is checked to ensure that the leakage back to earth is minimal
-
Load - (not always required) equipment is checked to ensure that it is running correctly
-
Flash test - this test is no longer carried out unless requested by the customer
