Plenty of businesses assume annual PAT testing is the law. It isn’t, and the Health and Safety Executive says so itself. But that doesn’t mean you can ignore your equipment either. Here’s the honest picture.
What the law actually says
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require employers to make sure electrical equipment that could cause injury is maintained in a safe condition. The regulations don’t say how you do that, how often, or who does it. PAT testing isn’t named, and neither is a yearly test or a sticker on every plug.
What the law expects is a sensible maintenance regime that suits your equipment and how it’s used. For most businesses, PAT testing is simply the most practical and recognised way of showing you’ve done that, which is why insurers, auditors and landlords so often ask for it.
How often should equipment be tested?
It depends on the risk. A kettle in a busy staff kitchen, a floor cleaner or a power tool on a building site gets knocked about and needs more frequent checks than a desktop PC that never moves. A sensible approach looks something like this:
- Construction sites and workshops: frequent checks, often every 3 months for hand-held tools.
- Schools, hotels and public areas: typically every year, with more frequent checks on heavily used kit.
- Offices and shops: often every 2 to 4 years for low-risk items, with regular visual checks in between.
Do I need an electrician to do it?
Not necessarily. In a low-risk office, a trained member of staff can carry out regular visual checks. The full combined inspection and test needs the right equipment and someone who knows how to interpret the results, which is where a competent tester comes in.
Why most businesses still have it done
- It gives you a clear record if something goes wrong and you need to show you took reasonable steps.
- Insurers and landlords frequently ask for it.
- Faulty plugs, fuses and leads get found and fixed before they cause a fire or a shock.
- An up-to-date asset register makes it easy to keep on top of.
We carry out PAT testing for offices, schools and businesses across London and the South East, with minor repairs done on the spot and a full asset register at the end. Request a free quote or call us on 01525 582582.
