Portable Appliance Testing (P.A.T)

Keeping Your Business Safe and Legal - Can You Afford Not To?

There is a legal duty for all employers to make sure that all equipment provided for staff in the course of their employment is safe and will not cause harm.

We would not climb a ladder with broken rungs, or drive a vehicle with no brakes, yet many people will use an electrical appliance with damaged cables, or in a generally poor condition.

Portable Appliance Testing (or P.A.T. Testing) is vital to your Health & Safety Policy. Under The  Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) you, as an employer, have a responsibility to maintain, in safe working order, all your electrical equipment used in your business.

Electrical Safety -  Each year about 1000 accidents at work involving electrical shock or burns are reported to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). Around 30 of theses are fatal!!

Fire Safety -  Portable electrical appliances are a major cause of fires in the home and at work. A sobering fact: Over 2,500 people are killed or injured as a result of electrical fires every year.

How can we help?  Fire Cover Ltd can ensure that your organisation complies with the safety regualtaions by testing your appliances.

What do the tests entail?  The testing consists of two seperate activities; A thorough visual inspection to check for damage to wiring, plug and casing, incorrectly rated fuses and incorrect or damaged wiring.

A series of tests are then performed using a PAT test set.  Depending on the class of equipment, the tests may include; Earth continuity testing, insulation resistance, Earth leakage, polarity and operational test.

Appliances are labelled with the result of the test (pass or fail). Any remedial action that can be taken during testing (replacing plugs, fuses and rewiring ect) will be carried out and re-tested at the time. More complex faults are reported to the business manager.  Please contact Fire Cover Ltd now for further information.