This is not an easy answer, but to keep it short - appliances should be tested as often as is necessary to maintain safety; how often is that? That is dependent on an assessment of the risk. Most people, companies, authorities, insurers etc consider annual testing to be the best policy, and it's generally accepted that if you get tested annually that, that is ok, assuming the equipment or use is not high risk. In [...]
PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) is the process of checking electrical appliances for safety through visual inspections and electrical tests to make sure an electrical appliance is safe to continue using. The process involves a visual inspection by a competent person where they check the plug, fuse, flexible cable, appliance itself and markings to make sure they all meet these standards. If not, a repair may be possible. The visual inspection isn't just to make sure [...]
The easiest way to sum this up is to say - if your electrical appliance turns off when you unplug it (take the power away) then it's mains powered and thus needs a PAT test. If it stays on then it is battery operated, and doesn't need a PAT test (but it's leads or chargers do) If it doesn't have a plug, and now is wired into a 'spur' that has a switch to switch [...]
Us too! It's crazy how many different terms there are for basically the same thing. It's all because some powers that be want to change the name, but people know it as PAT testing, and will likely keep it that way forever! Basically, we call it PAT testing, but it in the trade is (In-Service) Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (ISITEE). It's been called that for years and we have never had a client [...]
When your next tests are due we will send you a reminder, initially by email, approx. 8 weeks before. We will keep trying to contact you until we get a response - we never just turn up. We don't just PAT test. We also do other electrical safety services including EICR, Emergency Lighting Inspections, Thermal Imaging etc.
Our office will issue the invoice for the work, usually the morning of the next working day. We would appreciate if you can pay this on receipt, but for businesses we can offer up to 30 days credit, on request. The engineer will compile his/her report based on the job completed. We will set up your next appointment. Most people get PAT testing done annually, we'll assume that unless you tell us otherwise. We can [...]
This is where we do our thing, and you can chill :) The engineer will assess the environment, don any necessary PPE and get on. They will work in an orderly fashion, usually following a standard route. They will work around you as best they can, but there will need to be some flexibility on your part - we can't do every desk at lunchtime! Our team use battery powered testers, so we don't have [...]
Throughout the full process of working with us, any email contact is through our 'CRM', which allows us and you to keep all conversations in one easy to follow location. A day or two before the job, we send an automatic reminder of the appointment, and on the day (if we have your mobile number), you will receive a text message when the engineer is on route, with their ETA. When the engineer arrives, please [...]
Everything has been done by our office team so far, but now our team manager will get involved, to make sure everything is in place. For most workplaces, planning is quite straightforward and this stage may not be necessary. Any equipment usually held in cupboards or drawers you should get out Any equipment kept off-site, at home, or in engineers vans should be brought in to your site for testing on the day. We may [...]
Now we're all booked in, do you want to try to get a discount? We offer some great discount schemes. Pay 50% deposit upfront for a 5% discount off the price. We'll invoice you for half the quoted amount, which you pay before the job, with the balance payable within 30 days of the job completing (for B2B). The discount will be taken off the balance, from the total due. Pay the quoted amount upfront [...]
