Buy electrical equipment checks on comparable terms
Use one equipment schedule, separate ordinary items from fixed or specialist assets and give every provider the same inspection, testing, record and failure requirements.
A comparable quote must answer five things
- Who is the named tester and which equipment groups can they competently inspect and test?
- Which items, sites, access windows and shutdown constraints are included?
- What visual inspection, electrical tests, labels, register and report will be delivered?
- How will failed, missing, inaccessible, repaired and retested items be handled?
- What travel, parking, VAT, parts, specialist work and return visits are excluded?
Information to assemble before requesting quotes
Mark unknown items explicitly. Discovery can be priced; hidden assumptions cannot be compared.
- Site schedule, access contacts and permitted working hours
- Estimated ordinary item count by equipment group and location
- Fixed, specialist, medical or shutdown-sensitive equipment
- Existing register, previous results, failures and repair records
- Equipment ownership, users, environment and movement patterns
- Required register fields, labels, report format and delivery date
- Authority to isolate failed items and arrangements for urgent notification
- Travel, parking, security, induction and escort requirements
Project brief
Business and site: ______________________________________________
Reason for commissioning: first / periodic / new installation / change or event
Equipment and identifiers: ______________________________________
Use, process or operating conditions: ______________________________
Documents available: ___________________________________________
Sites and areas in scope: ________________________________________
Access and shutdown constraints: _________________________________
Target visit and report date: _____________________________________
Required quotation format
- Who is the named tester and which equipment groups can they competently inspect and test?
- Which items, sites, access windows and shutdown constraints are included?
- What visual inspection, electrical tests, labels, register and report will be delivered?
- How will failed, missing, inaccessible, repaired and retested items be handled?
- What travel, parking, VAT, parts, specialist work and return visits are excluded?
Competence and evidence questions
Competence is specific to the equipment, system and judgement being bought. Ask about the proposed person, not only the company.
- Who is the named tester and what comparable equipment have they tested?
- How will they classify equipment and select suitable tests?
- Which instrument will be used and how is calibration controlled?
- How will safe isolation, reconnection and function checks be managed?
- Which fixed or specialist items are outside their competence?
- Who may repair equipment and authorise a failed item to return to use?
- What public liability and professional indemnity evidence applies?
Comparable quote scorecard
| Comparison point | Provider A | Provider B | Provider C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named tester and relevant experience | |||
| Ordinary item count and item definition | |||
| Fixed and specialist equipment | |||
| Inspection and test method | |||
| Instrument and calibration evidence | |||
| Access and shutdown plan | |||
| Labels, register and report fields | |||
| Failed-item isolation and escalation | |||
| Repairs, parts and retests | |||
| Risk-based next-action advice | |||
| Travel, parking, VAT and total fee |
Do not add the scores blindly. Missing competence, equipment scope or statutory reporting can be a stop condition rather than a small disadvantage.
Report acceptance check
- Every located item has a unique result or recorded exclusion
- Visual inspection and electrical test results are distinguishable
- Failed equipment and immediate actions are recorded
- Missing, inaccessible and shutdown-sensitive items remain visible
- The digital register can be maintained after the visit
- Repairs and retests are traceable to the original failure
- Next actions are linked to equipment risk and results
- The report does not present annual PAT testing as a universal legal rule
Primary basis: HSE PAT guidance .