PAT Testing

Importance and purpose of PAT Testing:

PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) is related with inspections applied on portable electrical devices and equipment, to ensure that they are safe for use.

The Industrial Safety Department of Ergonomia, has the required know-how and equipment to conduct inspections on portable electrical appliances, providing reliable PAT Testing services at the client’s premises, by a team of experienced and qualified engineers.

PAT Testing is a service that has been established and implemented at an international level, aiming to ensure compliance with Directives related to the Safety of Work Equipment. Additionally, several insurance companies and certification bodies request from their customers the implementation of a systematic PAT program within their organizations in order to enhance safety.

According to the British legislation ‘’The Electricity at Work Regulations’’, electrical equipment shall be properly and regularly maintained in order to prevent the exposure of workers to risks that may arise during its use. In addition, as far as Greek legislation is concerned, according to PD 395/94 concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for the use of work equipment by workers at work, employers shall ensure employee’s safety and carry out all the required actions, so that the work equipment is maintained properly and retained in such level that no hazards may arise during its lifecycle. At the same time, employees shall be protected from the risks of direct and indirect contact with electrical current.

Taking into consideration all the aforementioned, as well as statistical reports which claim that the 25% of reported electrical accidents are related to portable appliances, PAT Testing can become an essential tool for Health & Safety assurance.

PAT Testing is applied on Class I and Class II electrical equipment and covers a wide range of portable appliances, such as IT equipment, maintenance tools, construction site tools etc. All portable electrical equipment may be damaged during their usage, and these damages can become hazardous for the user. For this reason, regular inspections are essential to be scheduled.

PAT-testing contributes to:

• Compliance with legislation requirements and codes of good practice, ensuring safety of employees.
• Minimize the possibility of fatal accidents or injuries.
• Prevention of a fire that may occur, as a result of improperly maintained electrical equipment

PAT Testing procedure:

The test requires the isolation of equipment. The process includes visual inspection, as well as testing measurements for each item. The results for each control point are provided in PASS or FAIL format, accompanied with a brief description of the findings and the respective proposed corrective actions. All the results are presented together in a complete study which is delivered to the company with the corresponding equipment inspection certificate.

PAT Testing services includes

• Initial visual inspection of equipment and its cabling
• Earth Continuity and insulation test of cables
• Functional test
• Identification and recording of any repairs that have been carried out on the respective equipment
• Study report of findings and corresponding proposed measures.
• Certificate of inspection
• Placement of PAT-testing stickers on inspected equipment enclosures