PAT testing is a fundamental aspect of health and safety at work! It’s true- even with the regular fire drill that you inflict upon your work team on an all-too-regular basis that has them stood outside, huddling like penguins just to generate heat whilst waiting for the office to be deemed ‘safe,’ and the countless personal safety awareness courses you continue to send them on to make sure they are au fait with every current safety measure and even your constant enquiries into acquiring new fire extinguishers for the staff kitchen where if someone was actually able to boil a kettle without burning the place down, you’d be more than a touch surprised; without regular PAT testing, you’d be leaving you and your team at the mercy of a whole range of hazardous fire situations.
Portable Appliance Testing, otherwise known as ‘PAT Testing’ is a UK process that was initially formed to routinely check the safety of electrical devices. Similar procedures to PAT testing do occur Worldwide but they are often umbrella-d by another term like in Germany where PAT testing is referred to as ‘BGV A3.’ Many types of electrical equipment require routine PAT testing as a lawful requirement and these include anything from household objects like a kettle for boiling water and a microwave for heating food, to commercial refrigerators for keeping cold food items fresh and hair strengtheners to remove curls in a high street hair salon.
PAT testing can either occur on a twice-yearly basis or more regularly, every three months, depending on the risk factors involved. For example, if an item is deemed ‘high risk,’ it will be checked more frequently than an item seen as ‘low’ on the risk scale. Involved in PAT testing is not just the physical action of testing sockets and plugs for safety, but also ensuring that a company’s record-keeping is up to date and goes into enough depth.
If you need to know more about PAT testing and associated practices, visit www.htpattesting.co.uk for more information- The PAT Testing experts.
As health and safety coordinators, PAT Testing is your responsibility and ensures your portable appliances are safe. Portable appliance testing from HT PAT Testing is the best way to do this.