PAT testing appliances in an office environment is a total waste of time money and effort.

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What's "PAT testing" ?

Appliances in offices need regular inspection by a competent person to check for the level of damage that is likely in portable appliances. This inspection should be frequent enough to catch damage at a reasonable time after it happens, thus reducing risk exposure. The standards for doing this are quite low though - mostly basic common sense, minor electrical knowledge (bare copper is Bad, m'kay) and half- decent records keeping to ensure that things don't get overlooked.

"PAT testing" (the full-blown version with testers, calibration trails, training and paperwork) is _one_ part of this, but it's far from necessary to apply it at anything like the inspection frequency. People claiming this are either selling PAT testing, selling replacement cabling (Cat 5 doesn't need to be PAT tested, nor does it need to be replaced, but I've seen someone try to tell me this) or they're office managers looking to empire build their authority.

HSE even have a cartoon poster on this subject.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

It's where an untrained buffon runs his hand down the flex of the appliance to check for damage before plugging it into an machine that he does not understand and then attaching a "passed" sticker onto the plug.

Reply to
ARWadsworth

Tautology.

Colin Bignell

Reply to
Nightjar

Agreed - although I am a trained PAT Tester.

The County I work for insists on a full tesr every year for all equipment, although computers are allowed visual inspections for 4 years before a full test. There are sensible guidelines out there ranging from the computer testing I mentioned to 3/6 monthly testing of frequently moved items with flexible cables and particularly extension leads which are regularly moved.

I can understand that in this litigious age a paper trail is needed to prove that the employers has discharged their 'duty of care' in this matter.

Does the employer have a policy on testing? If not I would suggest something that an arse covering exercise is done which includes responsibily being placed on the user to make basic checks that there are no breaks in the casing, or exposed wires before the equipment is used. I know that a Pat test is like an MOT test - only valid on the day it was done but like the MOT test it shows that the employer has a concern for electrical safety

Malcolm

Reply to
Malcolm

Agreed - should it be PA testing? Malcolm

Reply to
Malcolm

The RAS syndrome.

Reply to
Graham.

A few years ago, I was working away at my desk, when someone at the cluster of desks next to me said "Can anyone smell burning ?". Cue a frenzied search under the desk, to discover a 4-way extension socket ... plugged into a 4-way extension socket, plugged into a 4 way extension socket, plugged into a 4-way extension socket, plugged into the floor.

All were PAT checked :-)

Reply to
Jethro

But were they in that configuration when tested?

Malcolm

Reply to
Malcolm

I've seen that done in offices many times.

Even more marvellously, I've seen it done where each plug then had a Waitrose red & white "reduced" label stuck on it. These labels are thermally printed, so when heated they turn black. Any overheating on plugs made them very obviously "black labelled".

It was a work of either sheer genius, or sheer stupidity, accoridng to taste.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

I thought you said you were "a trained PAT Tester."

As each one has to be *individually* tested, surely you would have to separate them first ...?

Reply to
Terry Casey

"TESTING TESTING 1,2,3"

Reply to
geoff

03/2011 16:07, Andy D> >>> Discuss!

I tested my PA and found I dodn't enjoy her.

MBQ

Reply to
Man at B&Q

I didn't think "PAT testing" covered usage.

MBQ

Reply to
Man at B&Q

Of course not ... but I can hear some clueless manager whimpering "but there were PAT tested" at the inquest.

Reply to
Jethro

"there's a fine line between stupid and clever" - N. Tufnell

It's interesting to see office power sockets obey the same laws of nature that domestic ones do. Never enough, and in the wrong place. Even with false floors and blocks of 4 every other metre.

And as for network points .....

Reply to
Jethro

Perhaps PAT should be replaced with Portable Brain Testing - the results could be both interesting and alarming ...

Reply to
Terry Casey

As you say a " competent" person doesnt really need much knowledge - however City & Guilds jumped on the bandwagon with:

City and Guilds 2377-11 Management of electrical equipment maintenance.

City and Guilds 2377-12 Inspection and testing of electrical equipment.

Which of course results in firms and organisations insisting that you cant be competent unless you have 2377-12 ( a 2 day course)

Reply to
robert

17/03/2011 16:07, Andy D>> >> What's "PAT testing" ?

Why did I read that as 'tasted'?

Reply to
Geo

Slurrrrrp!

Reply to
Skipweasel

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