Portable Appliance Testing Specialists
We are NICEIC Approved electrical contractors, and are fully qualified to conduct PAT Testing across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling & Ayrshire (plus the rest of the central belt).
Portable Appliance Testing (PAT Testing) is essential to ensure that all appliances provided by businesses and property landlords are safe for use. The Health and Safety Executive guidance state the requirement that “any electrical equipment that has the potential to cause injury is maintained in a safe condition.”
This means that it is important for any business owner, from a sole trader who works from home to a large multi-national corporation, to ensure compliance with this requirement. The responsibility of safe appliances lies with the person who is the duty holder; this could be the business owner, landlord, equipment user, or manager of a premises
Our engineers will test all appliances to ensure that they are safe for use, and free from any wear & tear. Our pricing is clear, to ensure there are no hidden costs, and we’re very competitive.
If you are looking for PAT testing to be conducted by a company that’s both professional & affordable, please get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
PAT Testing:
All your questions answered
What is PAT Testing?
Portable appliance testing (PAT) is the term used to describe the examination & testing of electrical appliances and equipment to ensure they are safe to use. Most electrical safety defects can be found by visual examination but some types of defect can only be found by testing. However, it is essential to understand that visual examination is an essential part of the process because some types of electrical safety defect can’t be detected by testing alone.
Who needs to have Portable Appliance Testing?
All businesses that provide electrical appliances should have them checked on a regular basis, to ensure they are safe for use. This includes every business from a sole trader to a large organisation. Scottish landlords also need to have PAT testing, as part of the process required to obtain a Landlord’s Electrical Safety Certificate.
Does PAT testing need to be done every year?
The Electricity at Work Regulations (1989) requires that any electrical equipment that has the potential to cause injury is maintained in a safe condition. It may be a surprise to some people, that the Regulations do not specify what needs to be done, by whom or how frequently (i.e. they don’t make inspection or testing of electrical appliances a legal requirement, nor do they make it a legal requirement to undertake this annually).
Furthermore, the frequency of testing also depends on the type of equipment you use and the environment in which you use it. We would always advise PAT testing at regular intervals, to ensure continual safety. A good example is a vacuum cleaner, which is used by a cleaning company. This will be getting used more frequently than a coffee machine in a hotel room. Both should be tested, but the vacuum cleaner more frequently, due to it being handheld, portable & used more often.
The rules for landlords in Scotland are more specific – see below.
Scottish landlords & PAT testing
All appliances provided by the landlord also need to be tested annually.
Private landlords are responsible for ensuring that an electrical safety inspection of their property is carried out by a registered electrician at least every five years, to ensure their properties are electrically safe. This also needs to take place before the start of any new tenancy. The electrical inspection involves two elements
- Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).
- Portable Appliance Testing (PAT).
Anything that fails to pass the inspection is replaced or repaired immediately.
What does PAT Testing involve?
In order to establish the safety and suitability of your electrical appliances, the electrician (or another competent person) will carry out a visual inspection of the appliance, its plug and lead. For Class I equipment the electrician will also inject test signals into the cable and appliance to ensure their integrity.
What should I receive after the PAT Test?
Following portable appliance testing and inspection, you should receive a report that contains the following as a minimum:
- An inventory containing each appliance type, name, location and description.
- A full set of test results for each appliance tested
- A full list of any failed items with an explanation of their failure.
- A visible pass or fail label on each appliance detailing the inspection date, next test due and the inspector’s signature.
- If you are not technically aware, then the contractor / competent person who carried out the inspection and testing should be happy to talk through your report with you and advise you of any further action required.
We carry out PAT Testing across Glasgow, Edinburgh & the rest of Central Scotland and are always happy to talk through your report, plus advise of any further action required. Just contact us to arrange a test.
Do I need to keep a record of my PAT test, and should labels be placed on appliances?
There is not any legal requirement to label equipment that has been inspected or tested. Neither is there a requirement to keep records of these activities. However, a record and/or labelling can be a useful management tool for monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of the maintenance scheme. We would always advise keeping the report somewhere safe, so you can demonstrate that a scheme exists, if required.
Locations Covered
PAT Testing Across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling & Ayrshire
We cover all of the major cities & towns of the Central belt of Scotland, including:
- Glasgow City Centre, West End & South Side
- Clydebank, Helensburgh & Dumbarton
- Paisley & East Renfrewshire
- East Kilbride, Hamilton, Motherwell, Bellshill, Airdrie & Coatbridge
- Cumbernauld, Falkirk & Stirling
- Edinburgh, Leith, Musselburgh
- East Lothian
- Dalkeith, Bonnyrigg & Penicuik
- Bathgate & Livingston
- West Lothian
- Ayr, Kilmarnock, Irvine, Prestwick & Largs
How can we help?
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Glasgow
0141 357 3557
Edinburgh
0131 235 2909
afselec@live.com
Address
7 Thornwood Rd,
Glasgow, G11 7RA
Business Info
AFS Electrical Sevices is the trading name of AFS Property Services Ltd
Company Registration Number: SC244159
Company VAT Number: GB809274222
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