Introduction
Pat testing or portable appliance testing is an important part of any health & safety policy. This sectionn is intended as a guide to both the legal implications and to the technical requirements.
The Health & Safety Executive states that 25% of all reportable electrical accidents involve portable appliances. The Electricity at Work Regulations place a legal responsibility on employers, employees and self-employed persons to comply with the provisions of the regulations and take reasonably practicable steps to ensure that no danger results from the use of such equipment. This in effect requires the implementation of a systematic and regular program of maintenance, inspection and testing. The Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) places such an obligation in the following circumstances:
- 1. Where appliances are used by employees.
- 2. Where the public may use appliances in establishments such as hospitals, schools, hotels, shops etc.
- 3. Where appliances are supplied or hired.
- 4. Where appliances are repaired or serviced.
The level of inspection and testing required is dependant upon the risk of the appliance becoming faulty, which is in turn dependant upon the type of appliance, the nature of its use and the environment in which it is used.
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Landlord Legal Requirements
Anyone who lets residential accommodation (such as houses, flats and bedsits, holiday homes, caravans and boats) as a business activity is required by law to ensure the equipment they supply as part of the tenancy is safe.
The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 requires that all mains electrical equipment (cookers, washing machines, kettles, etc), new or second-hand, supplied with the accommodation must be safe. Landlords therefore need to regularly maintain the electrical equipment they supply to ensure it is safe.
The supply of goods occurs at the time of the tenancy contract. It is, therefore, essential that property is checked prior to the tenancy to ensure that all goods supplied are in a safe condition. A record should be made of the goods supplied as part of the tenancy agreement and of checks made on those goods. The record should indicate who carried out the checks and when they did it.
It is strongly advisable to have the equipment checked before the start of each let. It would be good practice to have the equipment checked at regular intervals thereafter. You should obtain and retain test reports detailing the equipment, the tests carried out and the results.
Legal Requirements
The legislation of specific relevance to electrical maintenance is the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 puts the duty of care upon both the employer and the employee to ensure the safety of all persons using the work premises. This includes the self employed.
The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 states:
"Every employer shall make suitable and sufficient assessment of:
- (a) the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed whilst at work, and
- (b) the risks to ensure the health and safety of persons not in his employment arising out of or in connection with the conduct by him or his undertaking."
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 states:
"Every employer shall ensure that work equipment is maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair."
The PUWER 1998 covers most risks that can result from using work equipment. With respect to risks from electricity, compliance with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 is likely to achieve compliance with the PUWER 1998.
PUWER 1998 only applies to work equipment used by workers at work. This includes all work equipment (fixed, transportable or portable) connected to a source of electrical energy. PUWER does not apply to fixed installations in a building. The electrical safety of these installations is dealt with only by the Electricity at Work Regulations.
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 states:
"All systems shall at all times be of such construction as to prevent, so far as reasonably practicable, such danger."
"As may be necessary to prevent danger, all systems shall be maintained so as to prevent, so far as reasonably practicable, such danger."
"'System' means an electrical system in which all the electrical equipment is, or may be, electrically connected to a common source of electrical energy and includes such source and such equipment"
"'Electrical Equipment' includes anything used, intended to be used or installed for use, to generate, provide, transmit, transform, rectify, convert, conduct, distribute, control, store, measure or use electrical energy."
Scope of the legislation
It is clear that the combination of the HSW Act 1974, the PUWER 1998 and the EAW Regulations 1989 apply to all electrical equipment used in, or associated with, places of work. The scope extends from distribution systems down to the smallest piece of electrical equipment.
It is clear that there is a requirement to inspect and test all types of electrical equipment in all work situations.
The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974
The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
" It is therefore imperative that you have a regular and recordable PAT testing routine whether you do it yourself or use a reputable Electrical Contractor, to ensure you comply with the Electricity at Work Regulations or indeed the Health and Safety at Work Act. "
* Raven Fire and Security carry out PAT testing from a pound an item ( plus Vat )
* Qty Discounts apply
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Below is some help and Guidance on fuse ratings and a useful guide on how to wire a plug.
Fuse Ratings
For the convenience of users, appliance manufacturers have standardised on two plug fuse ratings- 3A & 13A and adopted appropriate flex sizes. For appliances up to 700W a 3A fuse is used, for those over 700W a 13A fuse is used.
A variety of fuse ratings (1A, 2A, 3A, 5A, 7A, 10A 13A common ratings in bold) are available.
The fuse in the plug is not fitted to protect the appliance, although in practice it often does this. Appliances are generally designed to European standards for use throughout Europe. In most countries the plug is unfused. If an appliance needs a fuse to comply with the standard it must be fitted within the appliance. The fuse in the plug protects against faults in the flex and can allow the use of a reduced csa flexible cable. This is advantageous for such appliances as electric blankets, soldering irons and Christmas tree lights, where the flexibility of a small flexible cable is desirable.
With some loads it is normal to use a slightly higher rated fuse than the normal operating current. For example on 500 W halogen floodlights it is normal to use a 5 A fuse even though a 3 A would carry the normal operating current. This is because halogen lights draw a significant surge of current at switch on as their cold resistance is far lower than their resistance at operating temperature
Wiring a Plug
A common cause of electrical faults is a poorly wired plug. Wiring a plug is not difficult however it is important to get it right.
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Firstly strip off about 4cm of the outer cable sleeve. Slit the sleeve of the cable lengthways with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut into the coloured wires. Peel the outer sleeve away and cut it off. |
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Separate the wires and cut to length using wire cutters. Use the plug as a gauge to cut the wires to the correct length. Leaving the wires the same length usually results in the live and neutral wires becoming crushed when the plug cover is replaced. |
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Remove about 5mm of insulation from the end of each wire using wire strippers/cutters, be careful not to cut into the individual strands of wire. Now tightly twist the ends of the wires. |
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Connect each wire to the correct terminal. Slacken the screw push the bare wire into the hole and tighten the screw. Make sure the terminals are tight and that there is no bare wires or loose strands of wire showing. It is often easier to push the pins up slightly when connecting the wires.
- Brown - Live
- Blue - Neutral
- Yellow and green - Earth
Older appliances may have different colours:
- Red - Live
- Black - Neutral
- Green - Earth
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Tighten the cord clamp over the cable sleeving. Make sure the cord clamp is gripping the outer sleeve of the cable not the coloured wires. |
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Check that a correct rated fuse is fitted. There are three standard fuse ratings- 3A, 5A & 13A.
- For appliances up to 700W a 3A fuse is used.
- For those between 700W and 1200W a 5A fuse is used.
- For appliances over 1200W a 13A fuse is used.
Modern electrical appliances will have a sticker or plate showing the maximum power consumption in WATTS (W). |
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Make sure there are no loose strands of wire in the plug and the wires are laying in the correct channels in the plug and will not become crushed when the cover is replaced. Double check that the wires are correct and replace the plug's cover and tighten the screw |
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Some appliances will only have two wires - Live & Neutral. These are 'Double Insulated' and do not rely upon the Earth wire for protection. The plug is wired as above but there is no Earth wire to connect, however make sure that the screw on the Earth terminal is not loose. |
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