Why, What, How Often? In Detail
Why PAT Test?
Companies and their directors and managers have a duty of care to ensure that their electrical appliances do not pose a threat to the health and safety of their employees, customers and the public who may come into contact with those appliances.
This requirement is covered by legislation effective November 2007 under Statutory Instrument S.I. 299 (2007). This is the general application regulation covering the legislation under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act that came into force in September 2005 with the introduction of the Commencement Order S.I. 328 (2005).
Under this legislation the obligations under that duty of care have been spelled out in more detail and the penalties for defaulting have become greater including substantial fines and prison sentences for directors and also line managers of offending companies who are adjudged to be negligent.
In addition the Health and Safety Authority is now taking a more active role in the promotion of the requirements that this places on businesses and their directors/managers and a much more active role in compliance and enforcement.
Many companies, even those with well established and operated Health and Safety Policies and well exercised Corporate Social Responsibility Policies have been slow to implement routine Portable Appliance Testing. This situation is changing, not only for reasons of enforcement by the Health and Safety Authority, but also by best practice as part of the company’s own risk assessment process. This is being driven in some cases by the need to implement adequate systems for the attainment of quality marks and compliance with accepted standards and is now also becoming an issue for Insurance Companies in relation to their risk assessment and in determining premium levels.
What is PAT?
The term PAT generally refers to in-service inspection and testing of portable appliances.
Electrical appliances are built to specific standards and these appliances undergo Type Approval Tests and the Production Line Tests by the manufacturer before they reach the customer to ensure that they conform to the required standards.
PAT testing is essentially a repeat of the electrical safety tests that were carried out at the time the product was built. It is a periodic in-service electrical safety inspection and test to ensure that the electrical safety of the appliance is not compromised while the equipment is in service.
How often to PAT Test?
There are no specified timescales in law or in the code of practice for the frequency of inspection and testing of electrical equipment. The risk-based assessments are the responsibility of the duty holder for example the facility manager, building manager or landlord etc. A duty holder may enlist services of a competent person to assist in this process.
The frequency of inspection and testing is dependent on equipment type and environment and requires assessment. There may be specific requirements regarding ISO certifications, insurance, company health and safety policy and other interested parties.
Periodic inspections and testing should be carried out to fully ensure the safety of electrical appliances. Frequency of inspection depends on the type, nature and work environment of the equipment. PAT testing does not only apply to the more hazardous environments such as the construction industry but equally to office environments, hotels, schools, retail outlets and any place where employees, customers and the general public may be exposed to risk from a potentially faulty electrical appliance.
The IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) Code of Practice for PAT testing in the UK and the Irish HSA Guideline are the generally accepted standard. Under this UK code of practice a general guideline has been developed and appliances are categorised according to industry and type. For example the appliance type is categorised as being one of the following; Stationary, Movable, Portable, Handheld or Information Technology. A recommended interval between tests is recommended depending on which industry sector the appliance is being used in. For example in the UK the typical recommended interval between tests on a hand held electric drill on a building site is every 3 months.
In Ireland Section 30 and Section 31 of S.I. 299 relating to Inspection of Work Equipment and its Maintenance and Section 82 in relation to Connectors and Cables together with clarification by the HSA with regard to Section 81 of S.I. 299 as to how it relates to 110V equipment define the requirement for the construction sector in Ireland.
"Portable electrical equipment supplied at a voltage of less than 125V AC such as the majority of electrical equipment used during construction activities is not specifically included in Regulation 81... but must be maintained in a manner fit for safe use and should be subject to an appropriate inspection regime by employers to ensure that this is the case"
There are also guidelines for other sectors also such as industrial and commercial, schools, hotels, offices and shops including equipment used by the public.
The HAE (Hire Association of Europe) has additional requirements e.g. Flash Testing which are even more stringent than that of the general industry requirements and PATCERT’S service fully conforms to the HAE requirements.