Portable Appliance Test

A Portable Appliance Test or PAT, in the United Kingdom is a process by which electrical appliances are routinely checked to see whether they are safe. The correct term for the whole process is In-service Inspection & Testing of Electrical Equipment.

When people work with electrical appliances, health and safety regulations say that the appliance must be safe. Many types of equipment require testing at regular intervals to ensure continual safety; the interval between tests depending on both the type of appliance and the environment it is used in.

Many people will have seen evidence of portable appliance testing in the form of labels stuck to power cables around their offices.

Law

British law (namely the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989) requires that all electrical systems (including electrical appliances) are maintained (so far as is reasonably practicable) to prevent danger. Guidance from the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) suggest initial intervals for combined inspection and testing that range from three months (for construction equipment) to five years for inspection and, in many cases, never for testing (certain types of appliance in schools, hotels, offices and shops). [ [http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg236.pdf Health and Safety Executive, Electrical safety and you] ]

Name

Portable Appliance Testing is abbreviated to "PAT". The phrase "PAT Testing" is in fact a tautology, in the same way that some people say "LCD Display" (see also RAS syndrome). However, the phrase is commonly used in the industry, even though most people realise it is incorrect. The correct term for the whole process is "In-service Inspection & Testing of Electrical Equipment".

Qualification

City & Guilds offer a vocational qualification in this field: 'Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment - Vocational 3 (No. 2377)'. [ [http://www.cityandguilds.comhttp://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg236.pdf/cps/rde/xchg/SID-850C2351-18A457AB/cgonline/hs.xsl/1779.html?search_term=2377 City & Guilds 'Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment' qualification] ]

ee also

* Test and tagging

References

External links

* [http://www.theiet.org/publishing/books/wir-reg/cop.cfm IET/IEE Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment]
* [http://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/safety.htm HSE Maintaining electrical equipment safety]