PAT testing class I or class II

I know a few people on here that have done PAT testing courses.

Anything wrong on this web page?

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Reply to
ARW
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Do you mean other than the constant use of "PAT Testing" where the T = Testing?

The assumption that anything with a plastic case is double insulated?

Reply to
alan_m

I have, though about 10 years ago:

Metal = Class I - Bollocks

3 core cable = Class I- A strong indicator but not proof

Plug metal earth pin = Class I - Bollocks

Plastic case = Class II - No. eg Kettle.

Double box symbol = Class II - this is the only bit that is correct as far as I can see.

OK - I know who not to use for PAT now....

Ring them up and ask them what might be a Class 0 appliance :)

Reply to
Tim Watts

Anything right would be more appropriate. Pat testing does not fulfil a business's health and safety requirements, it no more grants immunity from prosecution than a complete failiure to PAT anything guarantees prosecution.

After that the website gets worse!

I would hope that whoever wrote the garbage has been separated from his screwdriver!

AB

Reply to
Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp

Do people usually wire inside mains gear using bare wire then? I remember an old Decimo clock with bare wire neons, but that was a long time ago now! Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

His *neon* screwdriver?

Owain

Reply to
spuorgelgoog

The funny thing is we occupy a council room, and every year till two years ago a guy came around tested all the mains cables then plugged them in again and plugged the plug into a pretty little box and pressed a button, if it passed he stuck a label on the plug. Nobody has been near since the last one two years ago and several devices have gone and some new ones arrived.

To be honest many of the mains wall warts that are supposed to be class 2, ie no metal earth pin, seem to be flimsy with not even a fuse inside, just a cheap Chinese switch mode module and an led poking out the top and a thin lead or usb socket through the case I have already had one of these blow itself apart at home despite an iec mark. Quite how one is supposed to really know about what is inside these beasties is not known! I have in the meantime used a good quality switched and filtered mains distribution device and only have it switched on when somebody is in the room. We most certainly do not want to burn down a block of flats! We are a charity, but one supposes that somebody might need to ask the council of their intentions on this one. I think on the website, its too tonka toy, ie it is a bit like looking at the world through a badly made cheap telescope, a lot of the detail is fuzzy! Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

ARW explained on 20/07/2018 :

There are so many errors in that, I will not even bother listing them. Did your apprentice write it?

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

I've read at least half a dozen pat testing webpages, and most have very basic errors in.

The same is often true of PAT courses unfortunately. Fusing & obviously non-compliant goods are areas where bs often abounds.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com used his keyboard to write :

It is unfortunately a small industry which due to the low level of qualification and equipment needed, attracts many less than well qualified with a limited understanding of the principles.

Those selling the service often also overstate the need for it to be done and the dire consequences if it is not done regularly.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

"Earth bond test 1000V Measured bond resistance o.1 Ohm"

This was on every cert a Birmingham company provided for years.

Mind you I also pulled up a few "high end" calibration companies whos "traceable" certs didn't carry an uncertainty.

AB

Reply to
Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp

that's the problem

I'd expect that, but haven't seen it.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

Code for Southampton is 023 not 02380!

Reply to
Graham.

You've now lost me!

Reply to
Fredxx

It's a solution to a problem that largly does not exist.

Reply to
Graham.

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Moreover, like most places you can omit the STD code when dialling another subscriber within the same code from a fixed line. Within Southampton you can optionally omit 023, not 0238 or 02380.

Reply to
Graham.

The main issue I think is with the courses. I did mine with the IET and we had 2 blokes, and one was clearly an engineering type and added a great deal of basic understanding to the course - the "this is why we do that..." approach.

So we left with a reasonably good understanding.

Some courses I imagine would be highly parrot like:

"Book says when X, do Y"

Then you get people who might be able to do the testing under normal situations but don't really understand what they are doing - which is less helpful if they meet unusual situations.

It harks back to the days of supplementary "earth" bonding being a new idea and people running bits of wire to every lump of metal they could see in the room.

Reply to
Tim Watts

This covers it rather well, surly you were aware of the London issue?

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Reply to
Graham.

It plainly exists, stuff still fails safety tests. The magnitude of electrical safety problems pre-PAT I don't have figures on.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

And the silly nonsense I see when a PAT inspector cannot even be bothered to examine the whole length of a desk power block lead because "it's a bit hard to take it out from the under desk tray". I did not observe fuses being checked for kitemarks. Basically, plug in tester and see if it says pass or fail.

The only really useful test there is continuity being within limits. You'd have to try astoundingly hard to fail the IR test. Perhaps with something very very old and obviously decrepit.

The whole thing is a bloody waste of time for the most part - far more useful to teach every single member of staff to look at their own leads one in a while for chafing and damage. Which is what actually *should* happen, but never does.

Reply to
Tim Watts

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