It’s a common question and one that the HSE has said is not a legal requirement but it can be a very useful exercise.
Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is the term used to describe the examination of electrical appliances and equipment to ensure they are safe to use. But you may ask yourself, should I keep records of testing and should I label any appliances that are successfully tested?
According to the Health and Safety Executive there is no legal requirement to label equipment that has been inspected or tested, nor is there a requirement to keep records of these activities. However, a record and / or labelling system can be a very useful management tool to monitor and review the effectiveness of the maintenance scheme and to show that such a scheme exists. ;
Adrian Pendle, Director of Intersafe, said ‘Lots of organisations regard Portable Appliance Testing as simply a legislation compliance cost. To derive the most from a PAT Testing programme they should really regard it as more of an asset tracking assessment of their electrical appliances.’
Keeping a record of testing acts as a database of your electrical appliance assets so that you can make more informed procurement and maintenance decisions. At Intersafe with the use of the latest technology we can supply facilities managers with all the possible information necessary to comply with the Electricity at Work Act and help facilities managers manage their assets more easily.
Intersafe have been delivering tailored solutions and safeguarding organisations for 20 years. They are specialist in Periodic Insepction and Testing, PAT Testing and Thermal Imaging. Contact Angus by calling 02380 610101 or email angus@intersafe.co.uk to book an appointment.
