Portable Appliance Testing
Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is a means to ensure that business meets regulatory safety pre-requisite, ensuring that your venture complies with Electricity at Work Regulations (EaWR) 1989, helping to maintain a safe environment for staff and clients.
Established business clients with two or more units, e.g. a PC and Laptop, qualify for a FREE 100mA, Class I Portable Appliance Test on a serviced unit and cable (workshop only). A Portable Appliance Test for a single unit and cable is optionally available for £2.00 coupled with a service or repair (workshop price). Otherwise operating at our usual hourly rate, fees start at £25.00 for the first hour and £1.50 per item thereafter (minimum £50.00).
Special Offer: presently £1.00 per item after the first hour up-to fifty items, then 51 plus at £75p per item. A small price to pay for peace of mind. Testing includes labeling and numbered printout/testing record for your files.
Equipment Construction and Type
Steve White has achieved City & Guilds level 3 Certificate of Competence for the Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment based on the IEE Code of Practice for in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment. PCWorkspace only works with engineers who are NICEIC approved or have achieved this standard.
The safety of a Class 1 appliance is reliant upon a connection with the earth of the electrical installation. If the flexible cable is damaged, the connection with earth can be lost. Safety of Class 2 equipment is not dependent upon the fixed electrical installation as it does not require an earth connection for the purpose of appliance safety.
Hand-held, portable or moveable (transportable) equipment (typically 18 kg or less) is more likely to be damaged than a fixed appliance. Class 1 appliances (containing an earth) have an increased risk of danger as the safety of the appliance is reliant upon the continuity of the protective conductor from the plug to the appliance.
Portable information technology (IT) equipment includes electrical business equipment, mains powered telecommunications equipment, essential and peripheral items for general business use but not excluding, for example:
Hand-held
Portable equipment intended to be held in the hand during normal use:
Mains powered handset.
Soldering iron.
Portable
An appliance of less than 18kg in mass that is intended to be moved whilst in operation or an appliance that can easily be moved from one place to another:
Desk lamp.
Desktop fan.
Kettle.
Laptop.
Vacuum cleaner.
Moveable (Transportable)
Inlcudes non-fixed equipment that is designed to be moved from one location to another:
Air conditioning unit.
Desktop PC.
Electric fire/heater.
Facsimile.
Humidifier.
Lighting.
Mail processing.
Pedestal fan.
Photo-copier.
Printer.
Projector.
Included in a Portable Appliance Test
Visual Inspection: check for signs of visible damage such as cracked plugs or split cables. • Earth Continuity: test equipment to ensure it has a satisfactory earth connection. • Insulation: equipment tested to ensure the insulation is satisfactory. • Leakage: test equipment to ensure that the leakage back to earth is minimal.
Important Literature / Legal Requirement / Regulations
Electricity at Work Regulations (EaWR) 1989 • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 • Health and Safety at Work Act (HASaW) 1974 • Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998 • The Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment • Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.
For further information on EaWR: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg231.pdf
The IEE code of practice: Recommended_Test_Intervals.pdf
