Why PAT Test ? – Legal Requirements for PAT Testing

Legislation

The legislation of specific relevance to electrical maintenance is the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 puts the duty of care upon both the employer and the employee to ensure the safety of all persons using the work premises. This includes the self employed.

A strange looking fuse found by one of our engineers!

PAT Testing – What are the Consequences ?

PAT Testing Legal Standards

Portable appliance testing, or PAT testing, is a major contributor to ensuring safety at all times, and will enable your business to comply with the legal standards. Failure to implement a programme of regular appliance testing can lead to serious consequences, as well as affecting insurance policies.

What Happens if you don’t PAT Test?

Recently, an employee sustained a 240 volt electric shock that broke both shoulders whilst attempting to test a newly manufactured appliance that had been incorrectly wired to the mains lead. Suitable precautions had not been taken to prevent electrical injury to employees engaged in testing work on electrical appliances.

Employees were exposed to live wires at 240 Volts AC, there was exposed metal in the test area, there was no PAT test of mains lead prior to live test and no risk assessment for electrical testing work.

The employers were prosecuted under The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (No 14), The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 (No 3) paragraph 1 and received a fine.