Why do we do PAT testing? Electrical appliances start off life perfectly safe, but over time they can deteriorate to such an extent that there is a real risk of electric shock to a user or the appliance catching fire. Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) ensures electrical appliances are safe to be used (much like an MOT checks your car is safe to be driven). Here in the UK all workplaces must make sure electrical appliances are safe [...]
When you get PAT testing quotes you're going to come across many companies wanting to charge you for socket checks... Some national firms charge as much as £39.99 to look at your sockets, no different to how you do, and tell you that they're all fine or one has a crack - you don't need to pay for that. Checking sockets is not a formal part of PAT testing, but is part of [...]
User Checks What are User Checks? We're all responsible for our own health and safety, so it is essential before starting to use an electrical appliance you do your own User Checks. But what is a user check? It is a simple check of the appliance to make sure it looks safe to use.. Does the cable have any cuts? Is the plug in tact? Does anything look wrong? [...]
PAT Testing for Charity Shops What Charity Shops have to do when selling second hand electrical equipment Make sure appliances are safe If you are selling electrical goods in charity shops you need to make sure the appliance works, and is safe to use, before you sell it. It seems so obvious to us, and you probably, but you'll be surprised how many charity shops sell junk [...]
How often do I need to get PAT Testing done? How often do I need to get PAT Testing done? A question we get asked, probably more often than any other question, is "How often do I need to get PAT Testing done?" You'd think this would be so easy to answer, that the internet would be full of answers, that the HSE would tell us [...]
