PAT Testing
Save time and send the same quote information to more than one company.
To add companies click the 'ADD TO QUOTE LIST' buttons.
-
Tel: 0333 005 0486
JPen Medical
Specialists in healthcare equipment test and calibration
Does the law say I must undertake PAT testing?
No. The law does not specify a need for PAT testing. But nevertheless it is highly likely that you will need to carry out some PAT testing to comply with Health and Safety laws and of course CQC.
The Law
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require you to maintain your electrical equipment in a safe condition. Although the regulations don't specify exactly what needs to be done, PAT testing is a way of ensuring that your equipment is safe.
The HSE has issued helpful guidance on the matter and you can download this information by clicking here. Page 5 is particularly useful.
The guidance is based on the risk of damage to the cable, plug and equipment itself. If an item is large and moved infrequently, such as a PC or a photocopier, it is considered lower risk. If the item is being used appropriately and no problems have been reported with it, you can simply carry out a visual inspection of it every 2-4 years and carry out a PAT test once every 5 years. If an item is smaller and is usually moved about, it is more likely that it will become damaged, so it is seen as being higher risk. This means that kettles, desktop fans, lamps, projectors and so on require a visual inspection every 6-12 months and a PAT test either annually or every other year.
Extension cables also need to be tested. As a rough guide, you should test them as frequently as the items you plug into them. So extensions for computers should be visually inspected every 2-4 years and tested every 5 years, while extensions used by higher-risk items need to be visually inspected every 6-12 months and tested once a year or every other year.