Portable Appliance Testing is a process through which electrical appliances are regularly checked for safety. PAT procedure is strictly followed in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand for in-service inspecting and the testing of the electrical appliances.
PAT testing involves the following:
· Checking the equipment and its connecting cables visually.
· Verifying the earthing continuity (if applicable)
· Checking the work ability of the insulation between the appliance inside components and the exposed metal part.
The result of the test is dependent upon the equipment under inspection. After testing laid parameters, the electrical appliance is officially labelled as passed or failed.
For more details on this, visit www.office-compliance.co.uk
Importance of PAT Testing
Portable Appliance Testing is a mandatory procedure to ensure the health and safety of the user. All electrical appliances being in a commercial environment should undergo the PAT Test. With the rise of globalisation, many cheap goods are being imported in hordes. Most of these appliances do not undergo the strict quality check procedures as it is mandatory with all the UK manufactured goods. Hence, the periodic check of these equipment becomes a matter of utmost importance.
As per the recent report, portable appliances amount for the 25% of all the total reported electrical mishaps. Consequently, there have been certain obligations which have been put in place by the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974). It binds the employers and employees by certain legal responsibilities as part of the provisions of the Act. As a consequence, the following needs to be ensured.
· There is no danger from the use of portable appliances by the employees.
· The owner needs to ensure that there is no imminent danger from the use of electrical appliances by the general public inside businesses like hospitals, banks, shops, hotels etc.
· Appliances are safe to be used if these are supplied or given on rent by you.
· Electrical appliances also need to be free of any danger when being repaired.
As per the provisions of the Acts like Electricity at Work Regulations (1989), the Workplace Regulations (1992) and The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations (1999), the need of electrical equipment maintenance and PAT testing has been given the paramount importance.
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