Portable appliance testing and the law explained
You may not have given portable appliance testing much thought unless you are in a line of work where it falls under the remit of your job. The fact is that it has wide ranging safety and legal repercussions so it is important to know at least a little bit about it…
Portable appliance testing, also known as PAT testing, is an essential part of maintaining staff safety in the workplace. Even if you have not heard the phrase before then chances are you will have seen a kettle or microwave in your work cafeteria with a little sticker saying it passed a test on a certain date. That means it has undergone portable appliance testing at some point.
It is a common misconception that HSE regulations stipulate that you get a professional in to conduct portable appliance testing on all your products on an annual basis. This is not actually the case; the law actually states that employers need to ‘assess risks and take appropriate action’ when it comes to electrical equipment. This was so widely misunderstood that in 2007 the organisation released a poster explaining that this was not the law and advising that for the majority of office electrical equipment visual checks for obvious signs of damage and some simple tests by a competent member of staff are sufficient. However many safety conscious employers believe there is no substitute for professional portable appliance testing. Therefore even if you do not get it every year it is worth investing in PAT testing on a fairly regular basis.
In summary portable appliance testing is a means of complying with HSE legislation as opposed to a strict requirement of the law. Many would argue that it is the easiest, and more importantly the safest, way of doing so.
Where can I go for reliable portable appliance testing?
If you want to procure portable appliance testing in line with HSE regulations then one firm with a reputation for providing the most effective, professional PAT testing services available on the market can be found at Htpattesting.co.uk. The company boasts a first class service, so visit the website for more information.
If you are wishing to procure the most effective, professional portable appliance testing which is available on the market then we have it all at htpattesting.co.uk. Our PAT testing is absolutely first class!