Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is one of the most misunderstood areas of health and safety compliance.
Many businesses believe:
PAT must be carried out every year
- It must be done by a certified electrician
- Every appliance must be formally tested
- It’s a legal requirement to have a “PAT certificate”
The reality is very different.
What Does the Law Actually Say?
Under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, employers must ensure that:
Electrical systems and equipment are maintained in a safe condition to prevent danger.
However, the Regulations do not:
- Specify how maintenance must be carried out
- Require annual testing
- State that a qualified electrician must conduct inspections
- Use the term “PAT testing” at all
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), makes this clear in its guidance: inspection and testing should be proportionate to the risk and based on the type of equipment and how it is used.
In short, the law requires equipment to be safe. It does not require unnecessary testing.
Myth 1: PAT Must Be Annual
There is no legal requirement for yearly testing.
Frequency should depend on:
- Type of equipment
- How often it’s used
- The environment it’s used in
Office IT equipment in low-risk environments may only need periodic visual checks. Construction tools will need more frequent inspection and testing.
One size does not fit all.
Myth 2: Only Electricians Can Do It
The law requires a competent person, someone with appropriate knowledge and training.
In many low-risk workplaces, trained in-house staff cancarry out visual inspections effectively.
Myth 3: Testing Is Always Necessary
In reality, most faults are found during visual checks, such as:
- Damaged cables
- Exposed wiring
- Burn marks
- Cracked plugs
A simple visual inspection is often as effective as formaltesting in low-risk settings.
The Bottom Line
PAT is about managing risk, not collecting certificates.
A sensible, risk-based approach:
✔ Meets legal requirements
✔ Saves unnecessary costs
✔ Focuses on real safety risks
If your PAT regime feels like a tick-box exercise, it maybe time to review it.