PAT (portable appliance testing) is the process by which electrical appliances are tested for safety. This is done through a series of electronic tests and visual inspections. The best way of making sure that your appliances are safe is by having a portable appliance test carried out on them. For companies this makes sure they’re meeting their legal obligations of maintaining high electrical safety standards in their premises. Here are some of the benefits and importance of PAT testing for:
Reduces the Risk of Fire and Electrocution
PAT testing locates faults in your electrical appliances that may not have been detected until after injuring someone (potentially fatally) or destroying the property through fire. Typically, PAT testing is carried out on your electrical appliances, the same way an inspection will be carried out on wiring installations. Both of them are essential, for the same reasons: a fault usually leads to electric shock.
In the worst situation, the electric shock becomes electrocution, which can be fatal. When PAT testing is performed correctly, it reduces and eliminates the risk of fire and electrocution. Accidents due to faulty electrics are twenty times more likely to leave their victim dead than any other accident types. PAT Testing detects faults that can lead to electrocution and then removes them.
It Helps With Law Compliance
This includes the following laws:
• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations
• Health and Safety at Work Act
• PUWER (Provisions and Use of Work Equipment Regulations)
• The EAW (Electricity at Work Regulations)
Help in Protecting your Insurance/PAT testing frequency
Insurance companies require you to always comply with the laws of health and safety; if you do not maintain electrical appliances to a level that is satisfactory and cannot prove that your appliances are safe, the insurer may consider your policy invalid. When a claim has been made in regard to an electrical accident that involves portable appliances without a valid PAT Testing Certificate, Insurance companies may decide to decline any claim. Insurance companies expect you to get your electrical appliances checked annually.
If you need the services of PAT testing in and around Basingstoke, contact NH Electrical. We are fully qualified electricians and experienced in all kinds of electrics. We carry out all kinds of commercial and domestic work. This includes electrical faults like tripping or blowing fuses as well as full re-wires.
