PAT Testing
Portable appliance testing with usable records — asset list, pass/fail results and labels, sized to your premises rather than a fixed package.
What PAT testing actually involves
PAT testing is a visual inspection plus electrical tests on anything that plugs in: earth continuity, insulation resistance and, where it applies, a lead polarity and functional check. In practice the visual inspection catches most real problems — crushed leads, cracked plugs, taped-up joints, kettle leads run under a chair castor, extension blocks daisy-chained under a desk — and the instrument confirms what the eye can't see.
The output matters as much as the testing. You get an asset register with each item identified and located, individual pass or fail results, a label on each appliance with the test date, and a summary of anything failed or removed from service. That's what an insurer or an auditor actually asks to see. Failed items are labelled and taken out of use rather than left plugged in with a note.
We work around occupancy in offices, shops, rentals, salons and community premises — early mornings or after hours where testing during trading hours isn't realistic. Intervals depend on the equipment and environment: hand-held gear on a building site needs testing far more often than a printer that hasn't moved in three years, and we'll advise on a sensible schedule instead of blanket-testing everything annually.
- Visual inspection plus earth continuity and insulation testing
- Asset register with location and individual results
- Dated pass labels on each appliance tested
- Failed items labelled and removed from service
- Advice on realistic retest intervals per equipment type
Common questions
- Is PAT testing a legal requirement?
- The law requires you to keep work equipment safe and maintained; PAT testing is the accepted way of demonstrating you've done that. For landlords, employers and public premises it's what an insurer or inspector will ask for.
- How often does equipment need testing?
- It depends on use and environment rather than a single rule. Hand-held and site tools need frequent checks, office equipment far less. We'll set out an interval per equipment type rather than testing everything on the same cycle.
- Do you need to shut the business down?
- No. Each appliance is only unplugged for a couple of minutes, and we schedule around trading — before opening, after close, or department by department.
- What happens to items that fail?
- They're labelled as failed, taken out of service and listed in the report. Where it's a repairable fault — a lead or a plug — we'll tell you, and often fix it on the spot.
Need someone today?
Describe the symptom rather than the solution and we'll tell you honestly whether it needs an emergency visit or a booked appointment. Emergency call-outs are prioritised.