PAT stands for Personal Appliance Testing. It deals with testing electrical equipment that has been used over a certain amount of time. PAT testing can be done by an electrician, though that is not necessary. However, credentials are still required, such as a PAT Certificate, which you can get through an online PAT testing course.
What is PAT Testing?
A PAT test is part of routine maintenance of electric equipment and to check if it is safe to use. It checks for defects of electronic equipment both visually, and within the internal hardware components.
Not all electrical appliances need full PAT testing to ensure they are safe to use, which only requires a PAT insulation test being carried out. If an appliance successfully completes the PAT test without errors or anomalies, it is marked as ‘passed.’
While PAT testing specifically is not a legal requirement either, it is required to ensure electrical appliances are safe to use and work is carried out while minimising risks involved.
There are also severe legal penalties upon a failure to proper apply proper risk controls regarding electrical appliance safety.
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Who is Responsible for PAT Testing?
While the testing process itself is carried out by an electrician or a certified person, the responsibility falls to the employer. The employer appoints personnel to carry out electrical work, and part of that responsibility is to ensure that PAT testing is conducted.
How to Determine if an Appliance Should be PAT Tested?
The class and category of the item determines if it requires PAT testing.
Electrical appliances are divided into three classes:
- Class 1
This type of electrical equipment has basic insulation and relies on earth and grounded protection. These are the most dangerous class of appliances due to their basic insulation, and need a full PAT test to determine usage safety.
- Class 2
This type of electronic item does not require earth for protection, and come with additional insulation for increased safety. This makes the electronic device only moderately dangerous, but still much safer than a Class 1 item.
- Class 3
A Class 3 appliance does not need full PAT testing due to its relatively low voltage, and are considered the least dangerous class of electronics. They may only require PAT testing for their charging leads.
While PAT testing does imply that the electrical appliance being tested is ‘portable,’ it is not necessarily the case. The categories of electronic equipment where PAT testing is conducted are:
- Fixed appliances
- IT appliances
- Stationary appliances
- Portable appliances
- Movable appliances
- Hand held appliances
- Cables and chargers
The word ‘portable’ is used due to legislative language within the regulations in the UK, and does not necessarily mean that PAT testing is only carried out for potable appliances.
What Should be the Frequency of Carrying out PAT Tests?
There are various factors that determine the frequency of PAT tests relative to the risk of the electrical appliance, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The criteria for determining PAT testing frequency depends on three factors:
- The risk of the electrical equipment relative to the work environment
- The class of the electrical appliance
- The category of the electrical appliance
A few secondary considerations are also necessary:
- Manufacturer recommendations
- The frequency at which it is used
- The age of the electronic appliance
- The history of using the item
- Electronic equipment misuse
- How repairs and modifications change the item
The risk level of the work environment can also depend on how risky your specific workplace or business is in terms of electrical safety and electric work.
Overall, class 3 appliance should be tested every 3-4 years, and high risk appliances should be tested 1-2 years, though all this depends on the manufacturer recommendations and other factors as well.
How to Know the Electric Safety Risk in Your Business
Three factors can determine the risk of a business. The risk determines if a business is low, medium, or high risk based on these factors.
- The risk of the workplace environment
- The risk of the equipment being used
- The personnel that will interact with the equipment
If there is any interaction of risk to the general public from an electrical equipment that is being worked on, the business is considered to be high risk, such as construction sites. However, an office setting where a certain electrical equipment is used every day by a specified team, can be considered low risk.
Industrial workplaces can have high to medium risk due to the high-risk nature of the equipment and the general work environment.
Can I Have My Own Personnel Carry Out PAT Testing?
As mentioned, it is not necessary for a specific person to carry out PAT testing, as long as the person conducting it is competent and has the necessary PAT certificate.
A person conducting PAT testing needs to have adequate experience in electrical work and knowledge of electricity and equipment. They need to be able to use all the tools necessary in conducting a PAT test, and have to be able to make the decision if an equipment is safe to use.
Conclusion
A PAT test is to determine if an electronic appliance is safe to use. It requires a PAT certified tester to conduct a visual and internal hardware inspection of the electrical equipment to determine the safety of an electronic appliance.
