P.A.T TESTING

Any appliances you provide to tenants, staff or customers when in your building or care - based on them fitting into the below categories should be P.A.T Tested

Electrical appliances are mainly categorised as Class 1, 2 or 3, with Class 1 being the most dangerous and Class 3 the least dangerous.

The class of an appliance helps determine whether it needs to be PAT tested and to what degree.  Class 1 appliances need a full PAT test, Class 2 appliances need a PAT insulation test, and Class 3 appliances don’t need to be PAT tested at all.

Class 1 appliances
This type of electrical equipment has only basic insulation and relies on an earth for protection.

Class 2 appliances
This type of electrical equipment has extra insulation and so doesn’t rely on an earth for protection, which makes it safer.

Class 3 appliances
Class 3 appliances are low voltage items and are the safest class of electrical appliance. Their charging leads may need to be PAT tested.

Examples of Class 1 appliances:

Class 1 appliances carry this symbol:

The following appliances are usually (but not always) electrical class 1:

Examples of Class 2 appliances:

Class 2 appliances carry this symbol:

The following appliances are usually (but not always) electrical class 2:

Examples of Class 3 appliances:

Class 3 appliances carry this symbol:

The following appliances are electrical class 3:

What are the ‘categories'

 How often should items be PAT tested?

There are no specific rules for the frequency of PAT tests.  However, the regulations say that the level of precaution taken should be ‘appropriate’ to the risk.

There are 3 main criteria that determine PAT testing frequency:

–   the risk level of the working environment
–   the electrical class of the appliance
–   the category of the appliance

The Health and Safety Executive also recommends taking the following into consideration as necessary:

–   manufacturer’s recommendations
–   the age of the equipment
–   frequency of use
–   foreseeable misuse of the equipment
–   effects of any modifications or repairs
–   the history of the item

Our tables below tell you the recommended frequency of PAT testing and visual inspections based on the 3 main criteria.

Low Risk Environments:

Low-Medium Risk Environments:

Medium Risk Environments:

High Risk Environments:

Extremely High Risk Environments:

How do I know if my business is high, medium or low risk?

There are 3 main factors that are taken into account when assessing the electrical risk of a business for PAT testing:

1. The risk level of the environment
2. The type of equipment being used
3. Who will be interacting with the equipment

For example, in an office setting where equipment is relatively static and there is a regular team using it day to day, there is much less risk than on a construction site.

On a construction site, hand-held, potentially dangerous equipment is in regular use and groups of workers tend to switch in and out and therefore the risk is much higher.

The table below gives an idea of the likely risk level of different types of business: