We rarely appreciate how much wear and tear electrical appliances can take until they break down. That’s on top of the risk of electrical sparks and fire hazards if they aren’t properly maintained. This is why businesses are legally required to maintain equipment in a safe condition. Furthermore, they may end up legally liable if they don’t properly maintain them. The solution in this case is to rely on regular PAT or portable appliance testing. Let’s take a closer look at why portable appliance testing is so important for businesses.
It Protects You from Potential Lawsuits
An electrical malfunction could cause equipment to go awry. At best, it is an annoyance, but at worst, it could threaten the health and safety of your employees. This is why you want to maintain your equipment and make repairs when necessary. Instead of relying on visual inspections and in-house testing, have portable appliance testing done.
While this isn’t a legal requirement, it allows you to have peace of mind and can delegate PAT testing to a third-party to verify that everything is safe. This can be the case for landlords, for instance.
Landlords are advised to have electrics in a rented property tested every 12 months.
- Class 1 appliances should be tested far more often because of their low level of insulation. These include freezers, refrigerators, and vending machines.
- Class 2 items are double insulated. This means they’re less of a risk to those around them. Class 2 equipment includes printers, drills, televisions, and lawnmowers.
- Class 3 items are low voltage and pose the lowest risk to the public. This list includes laptop computers, security cameras, and chargers. These items should still be PAT tested periodically. Small businesses should have IT equipment and stationary equipment tested at least once every 24 months.
You can’t afford to skip PAT testing. It doesn’t just reduce the risk of an electrical fire. Insurance companies may not honour a claim if you can’t prove that you’ve had your equipment subjected to a PAT test.
It Helps You Find Problems before You Face Costly Repairs
A business owner can do their own basic visual inspection. For example, you might look for a damaged plug casing, frayed wiring, or melted parts that suggest that something is overheating. However, PAT tests will go into much greater detail. This allows you to identify problems before they could cause a catastrophic failure. Then you can either safely dispose of it or call in a professional to repair it.
It Is Safer for You and Your Team
PAT inspection should never be performed in-house unless the person has the right qualifications. PAT testing consists of a variety of tests that could put the tester at risk of an electrical shock.
For example, the portable appliance tester should check the insulation between parts that are transmitting current and make sure the cables are in good condition. The tester will also need to verify the grounding. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could be injured or killed. This is why it’s always better to leave electrical testing to a professional business PAT testing service like Pat.Plus. They’re one of the top PAT testing service providers in Edinburgh, offering a fast, effective, reliable, and professional service. They routinely work with hotels, schools, manufacturers, and property owners, and have a reputation for their thorough yet affordable inspection.
You can’t just ask a handyman to do PAT testing. The law says that PAT testing must be done with someone with adequate knowledge to do electrical work and know-how to do a PAT test safely. If they haven’t gone through the appropriate training course, they’re not qualified to do a PAT test.
It Can Save You Time
Many large companies have electricians who can come in and test every single portable appliance. However, those involved in real estate rarely have the time or expertise to do proper PAT testing. This makes hiring a professional portable appliance tester a cost-effective solution. Then you only have to decide what to do with the malfunctioning appliance. However, doing nothing is not an option, because a landlord or business owner is legally obligated to remove the item from service if it has the potential to cause injury.
One benefit of hiring a PAT to do the testing is that your in-house appliance repair person can focus on repairing what needs to be fixed instead of routinely testing everything in the building. Another benefit of PAT testing is that it can verify that the appliance repair person is doing things right. Arrange scheduled checks and your appliance repair team can schedule their next round of repairs and appliance replacements, too. This will minimise how much PAT testing impacts the running of your business.
PAT testing can help your business save time and money. However, it can also protect your team and your guests while minimising your liability in a worst-case scenario.
