Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)Health and Safety Standard

How to Guide25 February 2013

Why is Portable Appliance Testing needed?

The myth All office equipment must be tested by a qualified electrician every year

The reality It's a myth that all portable electrical appliances in a low-risk environment, such as an office, need to have a portable appliance test (PAT) every year. The law simply requires employers to ensure electrical equipment is maintained in order to prevent danger - it doesn't state what needs to be done or how often.

The PAT Standard can be found at www.essex.ac.uk/ohsas/electricity

You will find the documents referred to in this presentation on this

web page under Resources …

The PAT Standard can be found at www.essex.ac.uk/ohsas/electricity

… a quick link …

The PAT Standard can be found at www.essex.ac.uk/ohsas/electricity

… and a list of guidance related to PAT here

Guide to carrying out simple visual checks

A visual guide to help identify

common electrical hazards

Dangerous Junk!Simple visual checks – guidance for you

Examples of what is / is not covered under PATA ‘portable or movable appliance’ is any electrical equipment that is capable of being moved whilst either connected or disconnected from an electrical supply, and in general which have a lead (cable) and a plug, and some fixed equipment

Not covered: Charging equipment (battery or USB operated) ‘Built in’ white goods (with plug but not moved) * Items not designed to be moved (no plug and wired into mains

supply) * * This type of equipment should be dealt with according to the maintenance cycle for fixed installations

Portable (easily moved around) Moveable (larger items rarely moved) Hand held items (no plug, wired into mains supply) Charging equipment (mains operated) Leads and adaptors Residual current device (RCD)

In most but not all cases, electrical equipment will require PAT if there’s a three pin plugSee ‘PAT explained’ or ask for advice

A few examples across the University

A few examples across the University

A few examples across the University

Where do you start? (top section of flowchart)

A PAT inventory (mid section of flowchart)

List the electrical equipment you are responsible for

Templates in Word or Excel are available under ‘Resources’ on

www.essex.ac.uk/ohsas/electricity

These could be customised according to your needs but give key information needed by

those who will carry out PAT for you

High risk areas or environments may already have their own local rules and processes in

place for you to follow

A typical low risk environment

Example entries

Office X, Southend 25/02/13

Rm A, 4 desk setup nearest door Hard drive (Sally’s desk)

Screen (Sally’s desk)

Desk fan (Sally’s desk)

HD 12345

6

7

Ditto

3 years

Ditto

Ditto4 gang extension lead (Sally’s desk)

8

3 years

3 years

3 years

Example of a completed form

based on a typical low risk

environment

Example entries

Office X, Southend 25/02/13

Rm A, 4 desk setup nearest door Hard drive (Sally’s desk)

Screen (Sally’s desk)

Desk fan (Sally’s desk)

HD 12345

6

7

Ditto

3 years

Ditto

Ditto4 gang extension lead (Sally’s desk)

8

3 years

3 years

3 years

Remember to include: extension leads, multi-way adaptors, connection leads and mains leads fitted with an adaptor

or transformer

If a portable residual current device (RCD) is fitted to electrical equipment, this needs to be listed and tested too

Example entries

Office X, Southend 25/02/13

Rm A, 4 desk setup nearest door Hard drive (Sally’s desk)

Screen (Sally’s desk)

Desk fan (Sally’s desk)

HD 12345

6

7

Ditto

3 years

Ditto

Ditto4 gang extension lead (Sally’s desk)

8

3 years

3 years

3 yearsMaintenance contracts with

Information & Systems Services DO NOT cover PAT.You must include computer equipment in your inventory

Example entries

Office X, Southend 25 Feb 2013

Rm A, 4 desk setup nearest door Hard drive (Sally’s desk)

Screen (Sally’s desk)

Desk fan (Sally’s desk)

HD 12345

6

7

Ditto

3 years

Ditto

Ditto4 gang extension lead (Sally’s desk)

8

3 years

3 years

3 years

PAT carried out by the Estate Management Section will use a new type of label from 2013 onwards.

The unique identification number will be on the label – use this the next time PAT is carried out

Example entries

Office X, Southend 25/02/13

Rm A, 4 desk setup nearest door Hard drive (Sally’s desk)

Screen (Sally’s desk)

Desk fan (Sally’s desk)

HD 12345

6

7

Ditto

3 years

Ditto

Ditto4 gang extension lead (Sally’s desk)

8

3 years

3 years

3 years

In this example, equipment with

a similar frequency of

testing has been itemised together

Guide to frequency of testing can be found in …

Hire, lease or loan equipmentDetails in PAT explained

Low risk environmentsHigher risk activities or environments

Ensure the inventory is accurate

Office X, Southend 25/02/13

Rm A, 4 desk setup nearest door Hard drive (Sally’s desk)

Screen (Sally’s desk)

Desk fan (Sally’s desk)

HD 12345

6

7

Ditto

3 years

Ditto

Ditto4 gang extension lead (Sally’s desk)

8

3 years

3 years

3 years

Add more entries as needed. Remember to be accurate with your inventory – if

items are not shown, PAT will take longer

or you could be charged for a re-visit

A recent example received by the Estates Helpdesk:PAT booked by department based on 40 + itemsActual number 200+ !Result – PAT took longer than anticipatedKnock on effect – works elsewhere may have been impacted

Time goes on … example of disposed of item

Office X, Southend

Rm A, 4 desk setup nearest door Hard drive (Sally’s desk)

Screen (Sally’s desk)

Desk fan (Sally’s desk)

HD 12345

6

7

Ditto

3 years

Casing broken, unrepairable, Disposed of 14/01/14

Ditto

Ditto4 gang extension lead (Sally’s desk)

8

3 years

3 years

3 years

Brand new:17/06/14Ditto Laminator (Sally’s desk) 9 3 years

See ‘Work Equipment Safety’ for disposal

of surplus equipment

24/02/16

Work Equipment Safety can be found at www.essex.ac.uk/ohsas/work_equipment

Guidance on safe disposal – as waste

or where the equipment has a

value

Time goes on … new item is acquired or bought

Office X, Southend

Rm A, 4 desk setup nearest door Hard drive (Sally’s desk)

Screen (Sally’s desk)

Desk fan (Sally’s desk)

HD 12345

6

7

Ditto

3 years

Casing broken, disposed 14/01/14

Ditto

Ditto4 gang extension lead (Sally’s desk)

8

3 years

3 years

3 years

Purchased17/06/14Ditto Laminator (Sally’s desk) 9 3 years

See ‘Work Equipment Safety’ for buying work equipment as well as

Central Procurement Unit guidance

24/02/16

Work Equipment Safety can be found at www.essex.ac.uk/ohsas/work_equipment

Guidance on buying second hand or online. Includes link to Central

Procurement Unit Policies and Procedures

Central Procurement Unit guidance:www.essex.ac.uk/purchasing/restricted/pages/policies_and_procedures

Use of online auction sites or

third party venues

PAT gets underway (bottom section of flowchart)

Note for PAT testers: Templates to record outcomes of

PAT are available in Word and Excel formats, if PAT testers wish to use these. See Resources on

www.essex.ac.uk/ohsas/electricity

Getting ready for the PAT tester to visitIt is not possible to carry out PAT without disconnecting equipment from the mains supply

Advise the PAT tester of any sensitive electrical equipment before testing commences (typically in high risk areas)PAT testers will not accept any responsibility for damage to electrical equipment or loss of data as part of standard PAT procedures.

Difficult access

Unplug all equipment stated on your inventory from the mains supply Includes mains leads, extension leads, adaptors and any Residual Circuit Devices. Inform the Estate Management Section Helpdesk or facilities management provider if research

applications or diagnostic works cannot be interrupted or a VPN connection is needed. Alternative arrangements will need to be made and there may be a charge for the PAT tester to visit at a different time.

Ensure all equipment to receive PAT is readily available and easily accessibleFor example, small items stored in cupboards could be put onto nearby desks. Any confidential matter should be secured.

Communicate these arrangements to relevant colleaguesIt is your responsibility to ensure these arrangements are communicated to all persons who may be affected, or who may need to be informed.

Outcomes of PAT

FailItem must be removed to

ensure it is not used or may be

taken by PAT tester

PAT tester should provide you with a report of what has been tested

Check what has been done in case any item could not be tested

Keep records for 3 years after date of disposal

Pass FailItem is worth repairing, Pass (combined PAT)

24

Prohibited or dangerous electrical equipment

Guidance on what not to use,

plus a safety alert about a dangerous

travel adaptor, can be found

here

Simple visual checks can pick upthe majority of problems – recent examples

Simple visual checks can pick upthe majority of problems – recent examples

Prohibited or dangerous electrical equipment

A poster to help you select which travel adaptor may suit

which international plug is here

Poster guidance on plugs and shrouded adaptors

Shrouded, fused travel adaptors are available

These can be purchased from

Colchester campus:The Copy Centre (Square 4) or Student Union Retail Shops (Squares 3 and 4)

Online: www.everythingessex.co.uk

Conclusion

Guidance on electrical safety and PAT has improved and is targeted at answering the common questions you might have A copy of this presentation is available on the Electrical

Safety webpage.

For further help please contact:

HSAS: extn 2944, email safety or

Download ‘Points of Contact – Electrical Safety’ from www.essex.ac.uk/ohsas/electricity