WHAT IS COMMERCIAL PORTABLE APPLIANCE TESTING?
The whole point of PAT Testing, both commercial and domestic, is to make sure that all electrical equipment and appliances are safe to use. A PAT test is a routine check of electrical appliances, testing your electrical equipment routinely prevents hazards and accidents caused by electricity such as an electrical fire.
After an item has been tested it will either be passed or failed and each item will be labelled so. The pass label being green and the fail label being red. Your PAT testing provider should provide you with a record of what items have been passed and failed and why.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PAT TESTING AT THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY?
When it comes to the health and safety of employees at work, including electrical safety, the employer or someone who is chosen by the employer to keep the business within compliance is responsible for making sure that all electrical equipment and appliances are safe to use and is, therefore, is responsible for organising a commercial PAT test.
The easiest way for employers to keep on top of Commercial PAT tests is to organise repeat tests. The best way to do this is once you have had your first test completed, you should organise with your provider to return, we recommend, every 12 months, for example, if your first PAT test was in February then you should make a note and organise to repeat the test every February.
IS COMMERCIAL PAT TESTING A LEGAL REQUIREMENT?
If you are a business owner or self-employed or are in any position providing electrical equipment to use, for yourself or others, you are required by law to ensure any electrical appliance or equipment you provide is safe to use for your employees and/or customers.
The Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 states that the responsibility to ensure the health and safety of everyone who uses the commercial property for business is placed upon both the employer and the employee.
The Electricity at Work Regulations of 1989 also says that all electrical systems at the commercial premises should be maintained and monitored to prevent any dangerous situations from occurring.
The best way of maintaining and monitoring all of your electrical tools and appliances is by PAT Testing them.
WHAT ELECTRICAL ITEMS AT THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SHOULD BE PAT TESTED?
One factor that determines whether a piece of electrical equipment or appliance should be PAT Tested is which class they belong to. Appliances are put into risk classes 1 to 3 with 1 having the highest risk of causing danger and 3 having the lowest level of risk.
- Class 1
A piece of electrical equipment or appliance that has little to no insulation and uses earth for protection against faults, making it more vulnerable to risks such as an electrical fire – High Risk
Examples
Washing machines/Tumble Dryers, Extension cables, Vending Machines, Industrial Machinery
- Class 2
Class 2 is slightly safer as it has more insulation than class 1 and doesn’t need to rely on earth as much for protection – Medium Risk
Examples
Hair Dryers/Straighteners, Printers, TVs, Power Tools
- Class 3
These are the safest appliances and pieces of electrical equipment as they are low voltage. If they need chargers then the charging cable and/or lead is advised to be PAT Tested. – Low Risk
Examples
Laptops/Notebooks, Phone/Tablet Chargers, Cameras/Camera Chargers
HOW MUCH DOES COMMERCIAL PAT TESTING COST?
The cost of both Domestic and Commercial Portable Appliance Testing can vary depending on several factors. For example, one of the factors that determine the pricing of your commercial PAT test is how many items are being tested at the commercial property.
Portable appliance testing companies may charge up to £3 per item. Here at LegionellaRiskandPat.com, we have some of the most competitive fixed prices on the market with a Commercial PAT test costing £69 for up to 30 electric items and £1 for each additional item.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES BE PAT TESTED?
There is no official legislation or pat testing regulations on how frequent electric appliances should be tested to ensure the safety of everyone using them.
The main factors that determine how often your electric equipment should be tested are:
- The classification of the electrical appliance (Mentioned earlier in this article)
- The level of risk involved in the appliance itself and the environment of the workplace
- The category of the appliance (Whether it is fixed, portable, handheld etc)
Other factors should also be considered such as:
- How frequently the item is used
- How old the electrical appliance is
- How the equipment had been used in the past
- Any adjustments or modifications made to the appliance
Some low-risk appliances and electrical equipment are recommended to be PAT tested every 2-4 years due to them being safer than higher risk appliances.
Although, high-risk appliances are recommended to undergo a test as frequent as every 3 months.
We recommend you carry out a commercial PAT test every 12 months to ensure your electrical appliances are always safe to use and stay safe. But you should always monitor your high-risk items and if you notice any changes in their looks or performance you should organise a PAT test as soon as possible before continuing to use them.
FINDING A COMMERCIAL PAT TESTING SERVICE PROVIDER
Finding a trustworthy commercial PAT testing service provider can be very difficult. LegionellaRiskandPat.com offers a fully compliant and comprehensive pat testing service across Scotland in both Domestic and Commercial properties.
We take pride in ensuring that we use the most reliable and up to date testing equipment to get the most accurate results to protect the health and safety of everyone who uses the commercial property both as a worker or a customer. We also guarantee a quick turnaround time for records and paperwork, giving you your PAT test results back on the very same day.
If you have any questions about PAT Testing or would be interested in learning about our other services such as Legionella Risk Assessments or would like to book an appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact us, we’d love to hear from you!
