edp Safety Systems
total Management of Health and Safety
for every organisation
health, safety and environment consultants
Service Overview
Portable Appliance Testing
Call us on: 01744 766000
or fax on: 01744 766025
or email on:
enquiries@edp-uk.com.
Essential Services
H+S Services:
- Health and Safety Audit
- General Risk Assessment
- Specific Risk Assessment
- Fire Risk Assessment
- Manual Handling Risk Assessment
- COSHH Risk Assessment
- Display Screen Equipment Assessment
- Noise Risk Assessment
- Asbestos Survey (Type II)
- Competent Contractors Audit
- Access Consultancy
- Portable Appliance Testing
Overview
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, along with the Electricity at Work Regulations and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, employers (and others) have a responsibility to take reasonable measures for ensuring no danger results from the use of portable electrical equipment.
As part of this duty, portable and semi-portable electrical equipment, used by employees as part of their routine work, must be subject to inspection and testing at regular intervals.
Objectives
The main objective of Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is to ensure that all work involving portable or semi-portable electrical equipment does not present any unnecessary risks to employees or other persons.
The aim of Portable Appliance Testing is to ensure the equipment itself, with its associated casing, cables, switches, etc. does not pose a risk.
Methodology
The inspection is carried out by a suitably competent Consultant.
A short time spent planning the inspection can help reduce any disruption to normal business activities and ensure that all equipment that is subject to inspection is, in fact, available for testing. It might also be necessary to arrange security access to some parts of the premises.
Availability of asset registers, previous testing documentation and maintenance regimes and records are useful to help identify all items of equipment that need to be tested.
- Each item of equipment is inspected visually for damage or faults and comprehensive electrical testing is carried out as appropriate for each item. Items to be tested include separate power cords, extension cables etc. as well as the actual appliances.
- Following successful testing, a suitable label is attached to each appliance indicating the date when it was tested and when the next test should be carried out.
- Items that fail the tests are also identified, along with a recommendation that they should be repaired or discarded.
- A register is compiled of all items tested and the results of the tests.
Duration
The time required depends entirely on the number of appliances and associated items that need to be tested. Problems with access to some appliances can also extend the time.
However, as a rough guide, each item may be expected to require 10 to 15 minutes.