How long does a PAT test Certificate last?

How long does a PAT Test Certificate last? The confirmation that your appliance is safe lasts as long as it takes to put the label on, plug it back in and wait until it gets damaged; how long the certificate lasts, kind of depends on that too. Some say the certificate is only as good as the moment the test is done, so that would be pretty pointless. 

A certificate lasts until the appliance is no longer safe, or until a period of time defined by risk assessment has passed. 

Let’s say your risk assessment says that your computer is medium risk and could get damaged if it was moved, and should be tested every year, so in theory if it is tested then its certificate will last a year. However, if the computer is moved within that time frame to a new location, its risk assessment has to be done again, and so does its PAT test. Because it may have got damaged in transit, so who is to say it is still safe? It needs a new PAT Test to check it is safe. 

That’s how long a PAT Test Certificate lasts. 

You should redo your portable appliance tests as often as is necessary to eliminate risk; this could be every 3 months or every 5 years depending on the appliance. You shouldn’t think about how long a Certificate lasts but how long can you be sure the appliance will stay safe for.

PAT Test certificate - how long does a pat test last

How long does a PAT test last?

How long does the PAT test last? Well this question can have different meanings. Do you mean.. 

How long does the PAT test last until it needs doing again? Or does it mean How long does the PAT test last, as in how long it takes to carry out the procedure. If its the first option refer to the answer above for how long does a PAT test Certificate last. 

If it’s the latter, then it depends on the length of your piece of string! Most appliances can have an inspection and test within a few minutes, some will take less time and others a bit more, but ultimately it takes as long as it takes. 

Better that the engineer takes his time, does a thorough job, does any repairs necessary too than rushes and makes a mistake. 

How long does a PAT test take?

This is a bit clearer than the last question, but the answer is about the same, but we’ll answer it in a different way. This is a good question but not easy to answer as everyone is different; someone experienced may do it in a couple of minutes; someone new to the industry may take 10 minutes. 

We say on average it takes one to two minutes to do a PAT test; around 20 to 30 items in an hour is a good working rate. Good enough to do a good job, spot any faults and repair them. 

So based on that, it’ll take about 3.5 hours to do 100 items; although in some environments we could do a lot more. We estimate to test approximately 200 items in a normal working day. 

Electrical safety is not something that should be rushed; an inspection and test is important, and so it is important it is done right. Too many PAT testing companies are only interested in numbers – quantity over quality. Some bigger firms expect their engineers to test 500 items in a day, which is ridiculous and a good way to miss faults leading to accidents later. 

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