Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)

The Law

All businesses are required to regularly test their portable equipment under the following legislation:

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 puts a duty of care on both the employer and employee to ensure the safety of all persons using the work premises.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 states that 'Every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of:

(a) the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work, and
(b) the risks to the health and safety of persons not in his employment arising out of or in connection with the conduct by him of his undertaking'

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 states that 'Every employer shall ensure that work equipment is maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair'.

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 states 'As may be necessary to prevent danger, all systems shall be maintained as to prevent, so far as reasonably practicable, such danger'.

How often do I need to test appliances? (Please note, these are just guidelines)

Location	Equipment Type	Class 1	Class 2
Construction Sites	110V	3 months	3 months
Industrial including kitchens	Stationary IT Movable Portable Handheld	12 months 12 months 12 months 6 months 6 months	12 months 12 months 2 months 6 months 6 months
Schools	Stationary IT Movable Portable Handheld	12 months 12 months 12 months 12 months 12 months	48 months 48 months 48 months 48 months 48 months
Offices and Shops	Stationary IT Movable Portable Handheld	24 months 24 months 24 months 24 months 12 months	24 months 24 months 24 months 24 months 12 months
Hotels	Stationary IT Movable Portable Handheld	24 months 24 months 24 months 24 months 12 months	24 months 24 months 24 months 24 months 12 months

If you require further information about Portable Appliance Testing, you can visit the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website.