What does PAT testing involve?
Portable appliance testing (PAT) is performed to ensure the electrical safety of appliances and equipment. It is not a legal requirement but employers, business owners and landlords resort to it as a standard practice, because they are legally required to provide a safe environment for their employees, customers or tenants, respectively.
Fantastic Services offers PAT testing services in London, done by NICEIC-certified electricians, who are competent and experienced to test any electrical appliance and identify potential issues that can put people at risk.
The test involves visual inspection and detailed check of all electrical appliances that are hardwired or can be connected to a plug socket. So, portable doesn’t really mean small electrical appliances. The PAT testing applies to electrical devices of all sizes. The electricians use specialised testing tools to check insulation resistance, lead polarity and earth continuity, etc.
We need to note here that responsible persons for the electrical safety of a said environment have different obligations as to how often a visual inspection and a PAT test should be performed. There are low-, medium- and high-risk settings, depending on the frequency of appliance use, the likelihood of wear and tear, as well as on who uses the appliances or equipment. Just as an example, a construction site is a high-risk place, where electrical tools and equipment should be checked more often.