PAT Testing.

[Kitten Kong]

This is mainly for the UK techs, but could apply throughout the world.

Couple of questions.
How many of you have your electrical items PAT tested?.

Is there a legal requirement to have them PAT tested?, even if you work from home, or designated workshop.

Is it something we could do ourselves, if registered and had the required training etc.

If so, is it worthwhile adding it as a service to our business clients?

Only reason I am asking, is that I am starting to get bombarded with calls re pat testing. I am sick and tired of fobbing them off.

Just had a call, off a company (forget their name). Saying that my pat test is due 22.06.13. What time am I open, how many appliances etc. Then goes to on to say the cost is £99.00 for up to 20 appliances, and then £1.20 for each additional one.

Right,I've booked you in for that day, and payment on teh day. Is it cash, card, or chq? The cheek of it!!

So told him, ermm hang on a second, I have not mentioned that I am going to have your company do my pat testing, and if your going to be as forward as even going as far as saying, you have booked me, in then forget it, and I will simply wish you well, and hang up. Or words to that effect .

So that had me thinking.. I open up the thread for discussion

 

[OfficeTechs]

ive actually done the City & Guilds PAT testing course and the minimum legal requirement is just a 'regular' inspection of the electrical cable and plug itself. No actual physical testing of the device needs to take place.

Once every 12 months or even 2 years for mainstream appliances is the norm. That means you looking at the cable for any splits or tears and the plug itself for any breakages or exposed cables. Basic common sense stuff.

 

[Kitten Kong]

Thanks for this buddy. Is there a legal requirement, so that we HAVE to have it done?

 

[bertie40]

I contacted a mate of mine whose sole business is health and safety regs.

He is a "pro", as the saying has it.

This is what he sent me :

Rob,

The HSE set the safety rules so you had better read the attached bulletin from the HSE.

The way PAT testing is manipulated for commercial ends borders on a major rip off.

You or I can “PAT test” an IT office and it only needs doing every couple of years or so.

What really grates is many of my clients waste hundreds of pounds on electricians mucking about with office equipment whilst industrial machinery with high voltages, in rough conditions gets ignored as far as electrical checks go.

I’s personally be DELIGHTED if you IT lads were to look up INDG236 on the HSE website (please do this) and offer a service to clients that would help them meet the recommendations of this HSE guidance.

The clients you lads have can have two choices.

1. Either they pay £200+ to some electrician with fancy meters, a roll of pass stickers and a lap top churning out PAT test listings and certificates....

2. They give you lads an extra £50 to follow INDG236 and look for any signs of damage to the portable gear in their offices and you maybe do that again every couple of years for them.

It would be good honest business and would make you some good honest money....

Mike

 

[bertie40]

A bit more from my mate :

“Is there a legal requirement to have them PAT tested?, even if you work from home, or designated workshop”.

The legal requirement is to keep your electrics in good working order how you do that is up to you. PAT testing is a recommendation only.

Regulation 4 of the electricity at work act requires this, regulation 16 by definition would allow you to do this, hence the HSE indicate technos like you are OK to make the simple checks.

Is it something we could do ourselves, if registered and had the required training etc.

Now we see the guy making up his own myths for goodness sake Rob. You DO NOT NEED REGISTERING YOU DO NOT NEED MUCH IF ANY TRAINING.

If so, is it worthwhile adding it as a service to our business clients?

Absolutely because it’s easy money, easier if done honestly and priced honestly.

Only reason I am asking, is that I am starting to get bombarded with calls re pat testing. I am sick and tired of fobbing them off.

On the A63 is “safety management UK” with a massive call centre making these calls.

 

[PCSupportGlasgow]

http://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/faq-portable-appliance-testing.htm everything you need top know about PAT testing.


PS the course is cheap and lasts about a day if you do it in a training centre (so basically 2 hours learning the stuff and rest of the day listening to fluff talk to pad it out)


Personally i see the modern day PAT testing sales calls as the equivalent of those "you have a virus remote support" calls although could be useful if you have allot of business clients but personally i dont want to be selling business clients snake oil

 

[Kitten Kong]

Thank you to everyone who replied. It's put my mind at ease. Certainly sounds like a snake oil business. The hse site makes for interesting reading also.

 

[joydivision]

Only just seen this and I have looked into this before in great detail. There is no law as already said. It is just common sense, check the condition of cabling and plugs etc.

It is not something we could offer as a sideline as the equipment expensive and the training courses a bit of a scam as they are only part of what you need.

What is very important is that UK techs are aware of this, I think I have posted this before but it fits into this thread perfectly.

http://www.bs1363.org.uk/

 

[DCGPX]

Nige

As stated there NO need to be PAT tested, common sense and checks suffice.

I used to do PAT testing for companies that felt they need it, despite me telling them they dont but it was comfort padding for them to have a 'cert'

Most big companies do it purely to cover themselves as they may have a large number of employees who cant make an informed decision on whether a piece of equipment is safe to use or not and it covers them to a large degree if its tested and on a maintenance plan.

Same with Electrical Inspection & Test. I'm in middle of an intense plan to check over 300 of our machine even though they arent covered by these regs as such but still we test them. (Complicated, dont ask!!)

Opens up a little query though for those of us using homes as workplaces. As these are now 'Work' premises technically we are supposed to have them Electrically tested same as a Landlord does to keep insurance valid whereas a home is only recommended to be done.

Different insurances have different views on this, as no doubt other Nibblers will!

Me, I'm lucky in that I can do my own and for a couple of hours a year I dont mind.

EVERYTHING these days is a minefield and open to individual interpretation.

 

[andcorptech]

I know the original post was for the UK, but I just wanted to note for our Aussie techs that the PAT testing is mandatory for anyone with employees under our workcover laws. Major fines or jail sentences can apply if a worker is injured and you have not had tests done.