With the current health and Safety regulations all businesses must make sure that there electrical appliances are PAT tested. But what are the regulations and how do you find a reliable PAT testing company?

Within the UK, The Health and Safety Executive, and in particular the Electricity at Work Regulations, 1989, state that in order to be certain they incur no risk of injury to those persons using them and that they are totally safe, all electrical appliances should be tested on a regular basis. This is a vital part of any health and safety policy as far as the workplace is concerned and is known at PAT Testing or Portable Appliance Testing.

More than 25% of reported accidents occurring at work involve electrical appliances of a portable nature and figures indicate that due to incorrect maintenance in situations where PAT testing has not been carried out, injuries are regularly sustained to those using the electrical equipment concerned. Electrical appliances which are either not kept in good condition or are used for purposes other than those intended and more often than not in unsuitable conditions, frequently lead to incidents of fire.

The type of appliance determines the level at which the equipment needs to be tested along with its location; the way in which it is to be used and how likely it is to become faulty. Nonetheless, a legal obligation is placed by the Health and Safety Executive on employers and self-employed persons where electrical appliances are used by workers, in places where the service or repair of equipment is carried out, or for example, used by the public in such places as hotels, schools, shops medical centres, and businesses where equipment is available for hire.

You need to make sure your portable electric appliances are tested accordingly if you fall into any of the above mentioned groups.

How Do You Decide Which PAT Testing Company To Use?

Before making your decision about which PAT Testing company to use, there are a few questions you should be asking. It is worth bearing in mind that a lot of time and money can be saved both now and in the future if you take the time to carry out some research before you go ahead.

NICEIC

NICEIC stands for the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting which has stringent standards providing you with peace of mind. The organisation you are considering to carry out PAT testing on your behalf should be accredited by such an external organisation. A full method statement and risk assessment of the necessary work to be done in order to make sure maintenance of equipment is at the required level will be supplied by these companies. Although the City and Guilds 2377 certificate is not legally obliged to be held by the engineers completing your testing, such qualifications are likely enhance your confidence in a particular PAT testing company.

You can request to look over copies of certificates issued to the PAT testing company by the calibration firms if you want to make sure that the equipment being used to check your portable electrical appliances is in good working order. It is also in your interest to ensure the company you decide to use for testing is fully insured as your entire business is being placed in their hands and should anything amiss occur whilst your equipment is being tested you will need to be fully compensated for your losses.

The cost of your PAT testing is also an important factor to take into account when selecting the company to do the job. It is not always the best choice to opt for the cheapest company to do the work for you in the same way as the most expensive company may not give any better a service. Make sure you are aware of those extras which you may find added to the final bill before taking a company on board and this will ensure you will only pay what you expect to pay when the time comes. In order to help you pick the right testing company for you, don't be hesitant to ask for references who you can contact to enquire about the way the company conducted themselves.

It is important that during the testing of your equipment your business turnover is not affected. It is simply not practical to down tools for the duration of the tests. You could, of course, choose a flexible PAT testing company who are willing to work around your schedule to ensure no production time is wasted.

By checking out the above mentioned points you are sure to find a PAT testing company you are happy with and once found, you can more or less guarantee a successful working relationship for the future.