PAT testing

[YAPH]

What does one need to do to test portable appliances (e.g. convector heaters)? Is it just insulation (phase and neutral to CPC) and earth continuity (CPC on plug to metalwork on appliance)? Figures? I've a multifunction tester but not a dedicated PAT tester. And what paperwork - qualifications and report forms - are necessary? I've a 16th edition (about to upgrade to 16th) and member of competent person scheme.

(Sorry I know I could STFW, just hoping someone knows off the top of their heads. Our charity-run school is looking for heaters to supplement their sometimes-tempermental central heating system and I suspect they'll need PATting for Elfin Safety.)

[Andy Wade]

There's more to it than just testing. Everything you need to know is in the IEE code of practice:

briefly:

- visual inspection (the most important part)

- earth continuity (0.3 megohm for 3 kW Class 1 heaters, >1 megohm for all other Class 1 equipment)

[OG]

Don't know about what goes on in your area, but our council supports a local CVS organisation to support local charities and voluntary associations. This provides a PA Testing service for these groups. I don't know what the status of your school is (after all, Eton is a charity run school to some extent :-) ), but it may be worth contacting your council to see whether there are facilities in place for you.

[Andrew Gabriel]

City and Guilds 2377-02 (and normally do 2377-01 at the same time). These are easily obtainable by anyone who knows how to wire a plug, and knows the difference between milliohms and megohms. They are intended to be achievable by non-electricians. Usually taught as a day each including the exam. If you haven't used any of the PAT test kit before and will be deciding on buying some, choose somewhere which does some practical testing during the training, so you can see what features different testers have. (There's no practical in the exam, so some places may not do any on the course either).

Note that even quite competent electricians who haven't done PAT training are IME completely incompetent at PAT testing, so even if you are hiring an electrician to to PAT testing, you should ensure they have 2377-02, as that's normally not on the beaten path of electrician training. The really big clue that someone hasn't been trained and doesn't know what they're doing is that they start buy plugging the appliance into a PAT tester. (Nearly all PAT test failures are picked up by the visual inspection, and most of those are not detectable by a PAT tester.)

[whisky-dave]

Just suppose someone gets electrocuted by an appliance that has been PAT tested OK and has since become faulty, who 'gets it in the neck' working at a college there was a time when it was considered the PAT testers responsibility and rather than college system taking the blame it was a good way of shifting the blame on to the PAT tester saving the college possible claims against it for the incident. At the time we were also told that nothing should go in to use until it has been PAT tested this included anything brought, and nothing could be used until tested.

[John]

Surely it operates like a car MOT, ie, the tester gives it a pass and that pass is only valid on the day and that particular time - if it goes faulty tomorrow, not the testers fault. It was OK and passed the test at the time.

[PJK]

Good advice here:

[Andy Dingley]

There is no statutory requirement to PAT test.

There is a statutory requirement to manage risk, by assessing it and then taking action _as_appropriate_.

PAT testing _may_ be decided to be part of that. If you're a high-risk environment, even typical PAT testing procedures or schedules might not be considered as competent for it. If you're a "typical office" then one simple situation is to decide that brand new equipment doesn't need to be PAT tested on arrival (and how often have we seen the pointless ritual of "cutting off the new plugs" etc.)

So if someone gets a zap, why? Is it a "do nothing" policy that's inadequate (who agreed that?) Clearly damaged equipment that was used regardless (Is there an effective policy for getting things fixed? What does you new starter training say to do?) How did it become faulty, misuse or fair wear? Does the inspection interval need to be shorter, or to have specific inspections added to it? (testing off- site kit whenever it returns is a prime need).

[Dave Liquorice]

That would be the common sense and realistic approach but since when have elfen safety people had common sense. An awful lot are nothing more than jumped up box tickers and buck passers.

It boils down to the person doing the PAT tests to keep proper and complete records of the kit they test. Make/model, serial number(s), details of test (possibly inc measurements of insulation/conductivity rather than just "PASS"). Free text comments for stuff that although not a PAT fail may have implications on the safe use of the equipment etc. IE the PAT tester needs to cover their arse...

For brand new kit that does on te face of it appear to be a bit OTT but it reality it isn't. There have been far to many cases where brand new moulded mains leads have been assembled incorrectly or have incorrect fuse values for the kit they came with etc.

[unopened]

I understand the point you make there, Andy. But, to be irritating doesn't "testing off-site kit whenever it returns" mean that a laptop power supply would be tested every time you went into the office with it (in some cases daily).

At one point, the University of Westminster had a policy that students were not allowed to power their laptops from University supplies. (That policy may still be in force). The reasoning was cited that such equipment needed PA testing, and the university were not going to do that for the students' laptops. The students, unsurprisingly, were not too happy at this policy.

Cheers,

Sid

[Rod]

Last time I saw a PAT tester at work, we discussed this. The plan seemed to be that new equipment could be used - and would simply be on the testing list the next time he came (up to a year hence). In the ordinary office environment, that seemed perfectly reasonable.

[ARWadsworth]

Fuck me. Someone who uses the correct name. PA testing not PAT testing.

Adam

[Andy Dingley]

No, it means that the overall product of the intellect of the people writing the guidelines and those reading them needs to be roughly constant. If you're writing _for_ idiots, then take more care in your wording.

A laptop is a reliable device with a particularly simple and robust power supply, compared to a stage lighting rig. It also has a low likelihood of damage or injury if damaged (again, compared to a lighting rig). You might break it, but are unlikely to break it in a way that creates great risk.

If your "offsite" kit is laptops, then have a policy based on awareness of damage and infrequent inspection.

If you hire generators, check the oil every morning.

[Andy Dingley]

Isn't PA Testing "portable appliance testing" in a generic sense, whilst "PAT Testing" is "Testing according to the specific UK PAT rules for the testing of portable appliances" ? "PAT" is a term that has outgrown acronym status and become a definable concept, thus treatable as a pure noun beyond the inclusion of the verb.

[ARWadsworth]

Maybe, and people play RPG games and so on.

Adam

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "ARWadsworth" saying something like:

PA Testing (of both types) is often noisy and irritating.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Dave Liquorice" saying something like:

Ba-ding! I bought a mini light table that came with an unfused moulded 13A plug. Dodgy as f*ck, I thought.

[Owain]

AIUI equipment needs to be inspected where it is used, to make sure it is suitable for its purpose and location.

Owain

[Andy Dingley]

Supplier validation should pick that up, even before you've seen the product,

[Dave Liquorice]

Operative word that "should", I know of several occasions where every one of brand new out of the packet stuff has been incorrectly assembled.