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Portable
Appliance Testing:- Further Information
What
is Portable Appliance Testing?
Portable
Appliance Testing is a process by which your equipment is
inspected and tested to see if it is safe. Every year, about
30 people die from coming into contact with electricity, and
many more are injured. About a quarter these accidents involve
portable appliances. By testing items of electrical equipment,
we should be able to spot faults before they have a chance
to harm anyone.
Why
do we need our equipment testing?
Contrary
to what others will tell you, there is NO specific legal requirement
to have your gear tested. (For more information on the law,
click on the support section above) However, there IS a legal
requirement for all employers and self employed people to
make sure that their equipment is SAFE. The best way to do
this is to inspect and test it on a regular basis, and this
is why there is an expectation that testing will be carried
out.
But
remember, the law makes it quite clear that the employer or
self employed person is responsible for health and safety.
What
does it cost?
We have various different pricing structures based on different
circumstances. Most of our competitors seem to charge per
item, although their prices are confusing as it's sometimes
not clear whether they charge extra for repairing a damaged
plug, and their minimum charges often push the price up if
you have only a small number of items to test.
We find
it useful to publish standard prices so you can compare our
rates to our competitors. However, please contact us for a
quotation, especially if you have a large number of appliances
to test or you have had a quotation from elsewhere.
Click
here to see our standard rates
What
needs to be tested?
As a general rule, you should test everything with a mains
plug. There are, of course, exceptions, but portable appliance
testing does not, for example, involve testing the mains installation
within a building. Confusion sometimes arises over appliances
that are connected directly to the mains, especially large
industrial equipment but also appliances such as hand driers
in washrooms. Although these appliances may not come under
the definition of 'portable appliance' they do still need
to be checked - we can provide further advice in this case,
and can organise inspections from specialist electrical engineers
if required.
What
if I buy something new?
New equipment does NOT need to be tested
- providing that you buy your equipment from a reputable supplier.
The testing that has been carried out by the manufacturer
is in any case more strict that than which is carried out
during a pat test. It's a good idea to make sure that every
new appliance is added to your inventory so that it can be
tested next time you have a routine check - but there is no
reason why you can't use it it the meantime.
There
is much more information about pat testing in our support
section. Click on the supprt link above to find out more,
or click below to go back to our home page
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