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PAT Testing |
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It is important to point out that the user of equipment has a duty by law to visually check for him or her self that it is safe to use before attempting to operate it and must report to a responsible person like a manager or safety officer within the company, if any appliance is unsafe.
On the 1st of October 2006 a new law came in to force business owners to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment by law , for an engineer covering the risk Assessment the very first question is have you had your PAT Testing done.
We find when checking plugs for the correct fuse, there is a 13 amp fuse where a 3 amp should be fitted, the fuse is there to protect the cable to the appliance, should the appliance itself need protecting then an internal fuse is fitted within the appliance.
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You will find that some companies who give you a cheap quote, if they have not found it quick and easy
or too few items to test will not return or remind you your test date is due.
Some experiences we find on almost every visit to cover Portable Appliance Testing :
Plug not fitted correctly or loose connection (this is one of the main causes of fire),
Cable grips not fitted or very loose making it easy for dangerous wires to pull out of the plug.
Vacuum Cleaners and floor polishers are just two of the appliances that due to heavy usage we find cable are dangerously worn or split and require a new cable to be fitted.
Extension leads we find are too long and are not being used via an RCD ( Circuit Breaker ) for their own safety. At times we find a two core lead being used where it should have a three core on an appliance that needs an earth connection.
Just testing restaurant kitchens once a year is not sufficient, they need a visit at least every three months, cables perish quickly
in wet greasy and hot condition making appliances unsafe. We very often find that the kitchens are being used 7 days a week
and don't find the time to close down for important testing, we are finding appliances with labels indicating that no test as been done since 2001 and 2003.
The frequency of testing takes several factors in mind The type of appliance the Class 1 being earthed or a class 11 the amount of usage, the environment in which it is used etc.
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You must also remember insurance companies don't need many excuses to avoid paying a claim and by not having your appliances tested within the IEE guide lines would leave yourself open to not having a claim settled .
Some companies offering PAT testing may offer it on the cheap by not having qualified test engineers, to test an appliance
properly takes time and there is no such thing as a FREE lunch, some companies doing testing do not have insurance.
The best firms to use is where the owner of a small company he himself is carrying out the testing, you may pay a little more but at the end of the day its worth and after all your accountant will show it against tax
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