PAT Testing
Portable appliance testing for businesses across Leeds, and an honest explanation of how much of it you actually need.
There is a persistent myth that every business must PAT test every appliance every year.
It is not true, and we would rather tell you than sell you a service you do not need.
What the law actually says
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require that electrical equipment which could cause injury is maintained in a safe condition. That is the duty.
The Regulations do not require inspection or testing as such, do not require it annually, and do not specify how it should be done.
The HSE is explicit that it is a myth that all portable appliances in a low-risk environment such as an office need testing every year. The expectation is a risk-based approach: frequency and method should reflect the equipment, how it is used and where.
What that means in practice
A kettle in a staff kitchen, a floor cleaner dragged around a building, and a power tool on a site are used and abused very differently from a desktop computer that has not moved in three years. They warrant different treatment.
For most low-risk offices, a sensible regime is regular user checks, looking at plugs, cables and casings, combined with formal inspection and testing at intervals proportionate to the risk, not annually as a reflex.
For higher-risk equipment and environments, more frequent testing is genuinely appropriate.
We will look at what you actually have and recommend a proportionate regime. If that means testing less than you are currently paying for, we will say so.
What we do
- Visual inspection and electrical testing of portable and transportable equipment
- Asset labelling and a register of what was tested and when
- A report suitable for your records, insurer or auditor
- Advice on a sensible interval for each class of equipment
- Repair or replacement of failed items, or a plain statement that something should be scrapped
Who tends to need it
Offices, shops, cafés and pubs, landlords providing appliances in rented property, holiday lets, schools and village halls, and businesses whose insurer or client requires evidence of maintenance.
Insurers and contract requirements are frequently the real driver rather than legislation, which is fine, just worth knowing which is which.
Common questions
Not as such. The legal duty is to maintain equipment so it does not cause danger. Testing is one way of evidencing that, and often a sensible one, but the law does not mandate it or set a frequency.
It depends on the equipment and environment. We will recommend intervals per class of item rather than applying one figure to everything.
Generally not immediately. New equipment should arrive safe; a visual check on receipt is usually enough to start.
Yes, a register of items tested with results and dates, suitable for insurers and auditors.
Yes. It is often less disruptive for shops and offices, and we do it regularly.
Request a quote
Tell us what you need and we will come and look. Straight advice, and a price before we start.