Do I need PAT testing?
Employers must keep electrical equipment safe, but HSE says portable appliance testing is not compulsory as a named annual process. Combined inspection and testing becomes useful where equipment type, use, movement, environment or fault history means visual checks alone cannot give enough evidence.
Check my situationUse the equipment, environment and history test
Frequently moved tools, earthed appliances, equipment used by the public, harsh conditions and repaired or damaged items can justify combined testing. Stable double-insulated office equipment in a clean, dry setting may need user checks or formal visual inspection rather than routine electrical testing.
- Can the equipment suffer damage through movement, moisture, dust, heat, impact or misuse?
- Can a visual inspection reveal the relevant defects, or is an electrical measurement needed?
- Do previous defects or test results show that the current frequency catches problems before danger arises?
What to do next: Group equipment by risk and document the maintenance method for each group. Where combined testing is justified, ask a competent person to set the method and interval, then review both using actual defect and test results.
Lower-risk office equipment
HSE identifies many clean, dry office settings as lower risk. Desktop computers and other stable equipment should not be placed on an annual testing cycle without evidence that testing is needed.
Formal visual inspection can find damaged plugs, cables, casings, cable grips, overheating and poor repairs. User reporting should remove suspect equipment from service between planned checks.
Higher-risk equipment and use
Tools on construction sites, equipment hired to others, earthed appliances, extension leads and items moved or used by the public need a different maintenance decision.
- Construction and industrial use
- Wet, dusty or outdoor environments
- Repeated movement or cable strain
- Public, guest or tenant use
- Repairs, failures or uncertain history
New equipment
HSE says new equipment should arrive in a safe condition and does not automatically need formal PAT testing before use. A simple visual check should confirm that it is not damaged.
Record supplier instructions, equipment class and intended environment. Add the item to the maintenance regime with a future action based on risk rather than applying an inherited annual date.