Why you need your appliances tested

One of the first things fire officers and health and safety inspectors usually ask to see on any inspection visit is PAT records. There are a number of additional reasons why appliances should be tested on a regular basis with the most important being:

1. to comply with the electricity at work regulations

2. to comply with the provision and use of work equipment regulations

3. to minimize the risk of fire and injury caused by electrical appliances (each year thousands of accidents at work involving electric shock or burns are reported to the health and safety executive some of these accidents are fatal).

4. to satisfy your insurance company

5. to comply with all health and safety requirements

6. to comply with quality assurances

7. as part of your fire risk assessment compliance

The regulations say

The UK provision and use of work equipment regulations 1998 requires that “every employer shall ensure that work equipment is so constructed or adopted as to be suitable for the purpose for which it is used or provided”.

The electricity at work regulations 1998 states “as may be necessary to prevent danger, all systems shall be  maintained so as to prevent so far as reasonably practicable, such danger."

This means that employers (and the self-employed) have a duty of care to ensure that all electrical work equipment is safe, suitable for the purpose and properly maintained in good order. PAT testing is the only way you can fulfill these obligations.