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One of the biggest problems in any workplace is the use of portable electrical equipment. Referred to as portable appliances, electrical equipment fitted with a plug presents a high risk of becoming damaged and thus dangerous.  Portable appliances include any electrical appliances that can be plugged in and include computers, kettles, toasters, heaters, hair driers, power tools, etc. Considered the main problem with portable appliances is that they have a flexible insulated electric cable, which is used to connect it to the plug and aid its movement, that can easily become damaged. Additionally not all cables are secured to the [...]

PAT tests in offices may not need doing as often as you may think. Many offices get their appliances tested every year but that may be too often. If you do a risk assessment you will find that most if not all appliances won't need doing that often.  Stationery appliances such as fridges, photocopiers, even computers and monitors hardly ever move so do you really need to get them tested every year? If users check them periodically and inspections are carried out intermittently it should be perfectly acceptable to increase the interval between tests to 2 or 3 years. [...]

  Do new electrical goods need PAT tested before using? They shouldn't. New equipment should be safe when manufactured, and are tested before leaving the factory, so there should be no need for you to have to PAT test them before using them. Assuming the new equipment has been bought from a bonafide retailer from the European Economic area.  Be more aware if you buy new equipment from 'cheap' online sites, especially if the appliances are imported from non-European countries.  However, some company policies do require new equipment to be tested before being put into service, so really it depends [...]

Don't leave washing machines, tumble driers and dishwashers running when you're out or asleep Don't leave portable heaters switched on and unattended Don't overload sockets with too many plugs Register your electrical products and check for recalls Always follow the manufacturers guidance when using appliances Don't buy fake electrical goods or cheap imports Don't use damaged electrical appliances DRA PAT testing specialise in appliance testing; contact us today for a PAT Testing quote

A British safety standard from 1947 that requires the top hole of the 3-hole socket to have a "shutter" on the inside means that the live and neutral holes can't be accessed until the shutters are opened. That happens when the earth pin of the plug is inserted into the top hole, thus opening the shutter. Only by inserting a plug, with a top pin, can the shutter be opened, which in turn activates the live part of the socket... making the socket safe - so there is no need to cover it; even little children’s fingers won’t open the [...]