Portable Appliance Testing – Should there be clearer rules in with testing regularity?

There are currently no specific rules as to how often portable appliances should be tested. PAT testing needs to be done “regularly” but there are only guidelines as to how often so no specific regulations.

According to the portable appliance testing experts, London PAT Testing, regular testing “is generally interpreted as a requirement for annual testing”. Testing on an annual basis will be enough in most cases, but this is currently not enforced. This means some appliances go much longer periods without being tested, something that could potentially be dangerous.

This brings into question if the current guidelines are good enough. Should there be more specific rules as to how often portable appliance testing should take place? There are many different factors that contribute. The type of appliance in question is the most obvious one. The age of equipment is also significant; the older an appliance is, the more dangerous it could potentially be, and therefore it should, in theory, be tested more often. Use and usage are also factors. Something used once a year is likely to be a lot safer than something that is used several times a week. Whether or not something is used properly will also have an impact. Where equipment is used is another issue.

There are many ways in which PAT testing regulations could be improved. One of these would be for specific guidelines to be set out for different types of appliances. There could be different categories for different types of equipment. In some ways this would simplify things for business and landlords alike, as they would be able to check which category each appliance they are in charge of would fall into. There would be problems too with this though. There couldn’t be different categories for every single appliance, so it would depend on how they could be categorised.

Another potential improvement could be that a maximum period would be given for appliances to be tested. This means people would know that they have to test them every two years for example. This would prevent PAT testing from being neglected too much, something that is possible with the current regulations.

A car MOT is a model that could be followed. With an MOT a new car has to be tested after three years, and then every year thereafter. This, or something along the same lines, could be adopted in the world of PAT testing.

There are undoubtedly problems with the current regulations. People do not always know how often appliances should be tested, and therefore testing may not be carried out as often as safety requires, even if the regulations are being followed. It may well be beneficial to those responsible for appliances as well as those using them if the regulations where altered.

Andrew Marshall ©