Portable Appliance Testing (PAT Testing)

We offer an out of hours PAT testing service at no additional cost to reduce downtime and disruption. APF Safety Services offer student PAT testing. Leaving for university? If you are a student and plan on living in rented accommodation/halls of residence, you may be required to have your electrical appliances tested before you can move in.

Why not combine fire extinguisher servicing at the same time: one visit, one invoice, reduced costs.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is PAT testing a legal requirement?
Technically yes. It is part of a employer’s responsibility under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. All portable electrical equipment must be tested and serviceable for its intended use.

Who does this apply to?
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 places a legal responsibility on employers, organisations, schools, landlords, charities and self-employed to take reasonable steps to ensure that no danger results from the use of portable electrical equipment. This means all portable appliances at your place of work have to be regularly tested to ensure they are safe to use.

Can anyone test portable electrical items?
No. Legislation states the PAT tester must be a competent person. All engineers are trained to City and Guilds 2377 Level 3 Qualification and follow current IEE guidance.

How long does it take?
This will depend on the number of items being tested and how accessible they are. A typical workstation with printer and extension lead will take approximately 10 minutes to test. At APF we can conduct out of hours testing at no extra cost to reduce downtime and disruption.

What happens if an item fails?
Most common failures are found on the visual check (wrong fuse, blown fuse or wires damaged). Minor repairs will be carried out at the time of testing (with agreement of client). In the case of faults that cannot be repaired, the item will be taken out of service and will be visual tagged and recorded as failed.

Do I need to PAT test for insurance? 
Some insurance companies do ask if you are up to date with your testing, some will refuse cover if it is not up to date. Most insurance companies will ask for the proof of PAT testing in the event of a claim (e.g. a serious injury, a fire on the premises), and if it is not in place they can refuse to settle the claim.

What does testing do to a IT system?
Since the implementation of testing, the equipment used has been adapted to ensure that your equipment will suffer no damage. In some work places where it is not possible to turn equipment off, such as computer servers, it may be only appropriate for a visual inspection and a full test carried out during the next scheduled shutdown.

Can we carry out 110v testing?
Our testing equipment is compatible with 110v appliances and equipment. This usually applies to construction site equipment which uses three pin adapters with the leads and adapters in yellow.

Do you provide method statements and risk assessments?
Yes, we can provide method statements and risk assessments including copies of our insurances and engineer’s competence certificates.

Can you carry out testing at night to reduce impact on my business?
Yes, we can conduct testing 24/7 with no additional charges. We would however require a representative of the company to be present on the premises during the inspection.