How much do you know about PAT testing and why is it so important for properties in London?
What is the PAT Test?
In UK, if business or homeowners, commercial buildings, and organisations want to make sure their portable devices and appliances are safe for use, they reach out to PAT testers.
PAT test refers to portable appliances testing, it’s the process of observing, investing, and examining electrical equipment and electrical systems to ensure they are safe for use.
PAT testing is considered a necessary safety test that protects workers, employees, tenants from electrical shocks, fire hazards, and other electrical issues.
A PAT tester is required to do a visual inspection to detect any signs of faulty, malfunctioning appliances or electrical issues. However, detecting electrical problems isn’t that easy for visual inspection, there are other processes associated with visual examining.
PAT experts are obliged to follow other inspection processes besides visual inspection. The test requires them to check for any metal that is not exposed to any current.
Why is PAT Testing important for Fire Safety?
Nowadays, the market is stocked with counterfeit appliances, especially in UK and London. The scariest part, you can’t tell the difference between an original product and a fake one, that’s why PAT testing is important.
PAT tests are necessary to eliminate and detect counterfeit products by ensuring whether they are safe to use or not. These tests help you find out which portable appliances are safe for use or not. Fire hazards, electrical shocks, injuries, death accidents, and the list goes on, that’s what a fake or malfunction portable appliance cases in case of electrical faults or overloads.
PAT experts examine your electrical system, by checking all the important electrical criteria. The PAT certificate will reveal whether your equipment and portable appliances are safe for daily use or not.
In case you have a safety certificate that means your electrical equipment is in good working condition. If it’s not, you are required to take immediate action and hire a qualified electrician to make the necessary electrical update.
The bottom line, the importance of PAT tests is in their ability to reduce the existing electrical potential danger. It protects you, your business, and your employees or tenants.
PAT Testing in London
If you are a business owner in London there are two things to remember; first, the PAT tests are not legally required, but their certificates are required for most by most business owners.
The PAT certificate will be issued by portable devices testing experts, it tells how much your building and property are protected.
A Professional PAT certificate will reveal two important points regarding your building safety in London. The first point is to show your level of health protection and appliance performance. The test will include a visual inspection to detect any thermal damages on your appliances, including heating, overloading, or malfunction signs. This type of PAT test is recommended in all London industries and commercial buildings.
It’s important to ensure that all appliances and electrical equipment are safe and carry no danger to the workers or tenants.
The second point is to determine how well you are protected from misfortune injuries and fire hazards. PAT test equipment helps in finding incorrect installation, thermal damages, unbalanced current in your electrical installation. The test is designed to eliminate potential threats on your office’s portable device and appliances that could cause fire hazards.
In UK, especially London, having a PAT certificate is very important for a business, it tells how safe your working environment is. The certificate must combine both visual inspection and other equipment examinations.
Here are some of the procedures that a London PAT tester follow to determine whether your appliances are safe to use or not
- Visual inspection for any visible equipment damages
- Visual inspection for any overheating, overloading, and disclosure signs
- Finding signs of incorrect fuse sizes, visible plugs damages
- Ensure that all cables and wires are up to the UK regulation standards
Which appliances need a PAT Test?
The most common question for most business owners is what needs to be tested?
No worries, we have the answer for you!
It’s not that hard to determine what appliances should be PAT tested. Generally, all non-fixed installations are qualified as portable appliances, therefore they must be tested. Appliances that are connected to a power source are qualified for the PAT tests. For example, all items that are not part of your fixed electrical installation need to be tested as part of EICR. For Commercial properties, PCs, photocopiers, electric drills, and all other IT equipment that are connected to a wall sock or cable extension must be PAT tested.
In case of domestic property, the tester will inspect appliances like toasters, dryers, oven, fridges or any other electric appliance that is not a part of your fixed electrical system.
Larger devices such as heated towel rail must be tested even if they are not portable appliances but are connected to a power source. Devices that are connected to any power source, cable extension, or wall socket qualify as portable appliances and must have a PAT test.
Finely, all the IT equipment and 110-volt equipment qualifies the PAT test requirements and must get tested.
How much does a PAT Test cost?
Most companies in UK and London ask for fixed fees for the first tested appliances, up to 10 appliances. The more appliances you have your fees per appliance will decrease. The fixed flat fee the most companies ask is in the range of £50 to £100, which would be the initial payment. For example, if you have twice the number of appliances then you are expected to pay up to £250 for all appliances.
However, the amount of money you spend on your PAT depends on other factors including the location of your appliances, the PAT Company you hired, and if there are additional services from your contractor.
How often do you take the PAT Test?
It’s not a legal requirement to do frequent PAT testing for all portable appliances, this test is not required by the UK regulation. As we mentioned before, regulations did not specify how often you should take a PAT test, but it doesn’t mean to ignore testing all your portable appliances from time to time.
A smart business owner should have basic electrical knowledge. It helps to decide whether you need the necessary PAT test or not. They must be cautious about the use of their equipment and follow safety standards.
It’s in their best interest to make frequent portable appliances tests, it helps companies and landlords to ensure the safety of their workers and tenants.
Who can carry out the PAT Test?
There are plenty of PAT engineers and companies in the UK and London. That means you have many candidates for who should carry out your company PAT tests.
If you can’t tell which PAT company engineers are suitable for your requirement, it is simple. Always hire a PAT engineer with a good track record.
PAT experts, engineers, and testers must be qualified and licensed by local authorities. To ensure you are not getting scammed, ask the company for a legitimate license, make the research first before getting the service.
The company that carries out your PAT test must be aware of the importance of this test, your tenant or workers’ safety depends on that.
The engineer who leads the PAT test must have full knowledge of the latest portable appliances and electrical systems.
Lastly, always hire professional PAT companies, usually the engineers these of companies have all the important requirements for a PAT test.
