PAT Testing for Entertainers & Mobile Equipment in the North East

Most venues, event organisers and insurers require entertainers to provide a valid PAT Testing Certificate before allowing equipment on site. This applies to portable, mobile and regularly transported equipment used at events and performances.

PAT testing demonstrates that your equipment has been inspected and tested for electrical safety, helping you:

• Meet venue requirements
• Satisfy insurance conditions
• Avoid last-minute cancellations
• Protect yourself, clients and audience

“Entertainers have been injured and even killed from electric shocks while performing or practicing. Make sure your next performance is not your last”. We didn’t say that – the HSE does!

Even a small electric current flowing through your body can kill you, so make sure your kit is safe.

Faulty, damaged or incorrectly used equipment can injure you. If you damage electrical equipment, for example a cable or light, then bare wires or conductive parts could be exposed.

If they are incorrectly connected or there is another fault, exposed metal parts could become live.

The risk of injury is increased if you holding an instrument or microphone, as you may not be able to let go if it becomes live.

Electrical equipment that overheats can cause fire too.

This is why it is so important that you have good quality, well maintained equipment, being correctly used in the right environments to ensure safety. To achieve this, maintenance, inspection, testing and repairs should be carried out by a PAT tester or suitable technician.

Also, don’t rely on the word of others that their equipment is safe, make sure it is, before you use it.

If you are using your equipment outside, make sure it is connected to the mains via an RCD, which will give you added protection.

For further guidance, we recommend you read this HSE article “Electrical Safety for Entertainers”

We regularly provide PAT Testing for:

• DJs and mobile disco operators
• Bands and musicians
• Singers and performers
• AV and sound equipment providers
• Event hire companies
• Mobile entertainers and performers

Whether you work full-time in events or perform occasionally, we can help keep your equipment compliant.

✔ Visual inspection of all portable electrical equipment
✔ Electrical safety testing where required
✔ Free replacement of standard plugs & fuses
✔ Clear pass / fail labels with unique ID numbers
✔ Fully itemised digital PAT Testing Certificate (PDF)
✔ Same-day certificates available (subject to availability)
✔ Practical advice on safe setup and equipment use

We commonly test:

• Speakers, amplifiers and mixers
• Lighting rigs and effects
• Power supplies and chargers
• Extension leads and adaptors
• Smoke machines and special effects equipment

You can even bring your kit to us, if you’re in a hurry to get your equipment PAT Tested. We do an in-house PAT testing service.

We understand that entertainers are often asked for certification at short notice. Where availability allows, we can issue same-day digital PAT Testing Certificates, helping you stay booked and avoid delays.

Certificates are emailed as PDFs and are widely accepted by:

• Venues and event spaces
• Wedding and function venues
• Councils and local authorities
• Insurers and event organisers

For new clients, payment is required before same-day certificates are issued.

✔ Fast, flexible service
✔ Qualified, insured engineers
✔ Clear documentation accepted by venues
✔ Free minor repairs included
✔ Straightforward pricing with no hidden extras
✔ Friendly, professional approach

We regularly work with:

• DJ’s and Mobile Disco’s
• Singers
• Bands
• Magicians
• Other entertainers

We understand how important reliability and turnaround are when your bookings depend on it.

Our pricing is clear, fair and based on the number and type of items tested. We offer fixed quotations so you know exactly what you’ll pay before we attend.

Do venues really require PAT testing?
Yes — most venues and event organisers require a valid PAT Testing Certificate before allowing equipment on site.

How often does my equipment need testing?
Because mobile equipment is moved and set up frequently, annual testing is commonly recommended. We’ll advise based on usage.

Can you test everything in one visit?
Yes — we can test all portable electrical equipment in a single session.

PAT testing is farily inobtrusive, and when we work together minimal disruption is guarenteed. We do need to turn equipment off and unplug it to test it but the process is quite quick, so not much downtime. We do repairs as we come across them, so you don’t need to worry about delays due to faults, and every test produces results that are recorded into a fully compliant report which documents every device tested, maintenance and the device location in your premises.

You are legally required to maintain safe electrical equipment for continued use and to prevent danger occuring. In the event of an accident occuring, for an investigation you need to provide evidence that your devices were safe, and that you have done everything you can to ensure this. Regular Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) finds faults and fixes them, ensuring dangers are prevented, and the accompanying report ensures your compliance.

PAT testing should be repeated as often as is necessary to prevent danger occuring. A risk assessment is a good way to work out the risks, which help to determine appropriate frequency. We can also guide you based on our vast experience. Typically, site managers opt for annual PAT tests. With DRA PAT Testing we put you in our reminder system, so when tests are due again we contact you to arrange a retest date.

Assuming you purchased the new appliances from a reputable source, they do not usually require PAT testing immediately, and should be ok to wait until your next scheduled test assuming that is within 12 months of purchase. We do however recommend that the device be visually inspected before use. However, if you are in doubt at all, get it tested, for peace of mind.