PAT Testing, or Portable Appliance Testing, must be undertaken in order for
companies to fully comply with the Electricity At Work Regulations. Testing is required because, during everyday use, electrical
appliances can become worn or damaged.
This can result in appliances becoming unsafe so a proper maintenance schedule
is essential for businesses. PAT Testing, as carried out by Birmingham Pat Testing, is therefore a documented method of electrical
maintenance which companies are required to undertake on all their portable appliances.
What Is A Portable Appliance?
Quite simply a portable appliance is any piece of electrical equipment that
can be moved from area to area and reconnected to the supply via a plug and socket system.
Why Do We Need PAT Testing?
The most important reasons for carrying out Portable Appliance Testing are:
- To comply with the Electricity At Work Regulations
- Risk of fire and injury due to faulty electrical equipment is minimised
- Insurance companies cannot dispute claims for damage through fire because
of insufficient electrical maintenance
- The ISO 9000 Quality Assurance Standard requires all companies to comply with
the Health and Safety requirements, portable appliance testing as provided by Birmingham Pat Testing, is required to comply
with this standard.
How Often Is PAT Testing Carried Out?
This depends on the workplace environment and the equipment to be tested. but
is generally every 12 months however, a power drill on a building site where wear and tear is greater, the period between
tests should be more frequent. We are more than happy to assist companies in choosing the correct periods between testing.
What Is The
PAT Testing Procedure?
We will perform a number of tests on each appliance such as:
- Full visual inspection
- Insulation test
- Earth continuity test
- Earth leakage test
A certificate is then produced for your files indicating the results of the
individual tests. This can be done either in hard copy, disk or email. Each item of electrical equipment is given an individual
number and identified with a sticker. This will ensure that the item can be tracked and provides a clear indication of its
pass / fail status.
Does Testing Disrupt The Workplace?
At Birmingham Pat Testing., we pride ourselves on having a well trained and
organised staff, ensuring that any potential downtime for our clients is kept to an absolute minimum. We will also work outside
office hours if required.
How Much Does This Cost? We endeavour to ensure all our
clients receive the best and most competitively priced PAT Testing available in the UK.