The benefits of PAT Testing

What are the advantages of testing PAT?

The process of testing your appliances can have numerous advantages, the main one being the possibility of saving lives. But for the majority of workplaces, the main advantage of testing PAT is that it can declare that you’re doing everything you can to ensure that the electrical equipment you supply is safe to use and therefore, you’re meeting the requirements for safety and health at work.

Around 15% of all home fires within England and Wales are the result of electrical problems, with electrical appliances breaking down and damaged cables as the main reasons. In the average year, there are 8000 electrical fires within the UK alone, with more than four thousand injuries and more than 30 deaths.

Do these shocking numbers entice you to have your electrical system examined?

The reduction in these numbers is an advantage of PAT testing. The principal reason to have electrical devices tested nowadays is to decrease the risk of an appliance causing the fire.

7 of the greatest advantages of PAT Testing with Central Scot PAT

PAT tests decrease the chance of a device catching fire
PAT tests ensure that electrical appliances used by tenants in rental properties are secure*
PAT tests lower the chance of a fire at the workplace.
Regular PAT tests could help you save money over the long run.
A regular PAT test can help reduce the risks appliances can create for your business
Tests for risk-awareness help to ensure that you are in compliance with UK rules
Regular PAT tests will keep your insurance company satisfied

*Landlords are not legally required to conduct formal electrical tests, however they are legally bound by an obligation to make sure that electrical appliances that tenants use in their residences are secure, or at the very least have the CE label.

Within the UK Electrical fires are responsible for approximately 33% of fires that are accidental at work. These fires may be due to electrical faults or the misuse by electrical devices. The increase in fires is observed during the period of Christmas. According to law, employers must make sure that their equipment is properly installed, maintained and properly used, regardless of regardless of whether it’s owned or leased to the business.

Regular PAT tests can reduce the risk of sparks

Electrical fires caused by malfunctioning or unreliable equipment are common in the UK and is the main reason to test your equipment. A competent PAT tester is aware of what to look out for and can reduce the chance of your equipment being the cause of an electrical fire.

Electrical appliances transfer electricity from the main power supply through the flexible cable and plug to the appliance. This helps to make it function so that you can make use of it.

If there’s a defect within the route, there is a possibility it will cause an accident and possibly in the form of a shock to the person which is referred to as an electric shock.
If that shock proves be fatal, the person is likely to have been electrocuted.
If someone is electrocuted the person is dead and that is not an enjoyable way to die.
People who use electrical appliances typically do so without contemplating the potential consequences of touching an appliance that is defective However, when they do, the results can be shocking.
Regular maintenance will ensure appliances don’t go to a point of being in bad repair.
Tests for portable appliances will look over all the way from the appliance up to the plug for any issues and how they can be addressed.
This eliminates the possibility of electric shock.

If we conduct the PAT testing, advantages to you are:

Free replacement plugs and fuse
Repairs are free
Certificates are issued quickly
Reminders to retest
There is no need to spend money on tests that are not needed

It’s likely that the majority of people don’t realize this advantage until they experience it However, regular PAT tests will save you money in the in the long run. It’s more affordable than a maintenance contract and definitely less costly than legal actions if accidents occur and you’ve not ensured that your equipment for safety.

This is the most significant benefit that PAT testing offers.

The majority of people aren’t aware of the motives behind why PAT testing is completed, and for their part, they don’t realize the benefits of PAT testing until it’s way too late.

PAT testing is crucial in spite of what many may think. PAT testing reveals defects in electrical appliances which may not be identified until they’ve killed someone, or destroyed property due to fire.

PAT testing is conducted on electrical appliances just as an inspection performed on wiring installation. Both are essential, with similar reasons . A fault can cause electric shock which is something you do not want.

In the worst case scenario an electric shock may turn into electrocution. If you’re electrocuted, you die. What can make it more difficult is your death is an extremely painful one.

Regular testing lowers the risk

Tests for portable appliances, when done correctly, will decrease and possibly completely eliminate the possibility of electrical fire and/or electrocution, which is a major benefit of conducting pat tests. It is impossible to provide an 100% guarantee, however in comparison to not doing anything whatsoever, the odds of safety being assured are significantly raised. How much money could your company lose when it is affected by fire? If we say that there cannot provide a 100 percent assurance this is because we are unable to stop an appliance from becoming damaged once we’ve tested it, however, during the testing phase, we can ensure that it is safe.

Regular PAT testing reduces the risk of accidents

Accidents caused by electrical faults have a 20-fold higher chance be fatal to their victims than other type of accident . PAT Testing finds faults that cause electrocution and eliminates them.

There’s plenty of discussion about the frequency of PAT testing and the length of time you are able to go between tests. If you’re looking to make sure that the chance of an accident are as slim as they can be, you should to test your appliances frequently. It’s not surprising that the workplaces which undergo annual testing have the lowest rates of repair, failures and accidents.

Testing your appliances can help you stay in compliance with the law.

It is the Electricity at Work Regulations (EAW)
Provisions and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER)
Health & Safety at Work Act
Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations
Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations

PAT testing can help with insurance

Insurance companies require you to adhere to Health and Safety; if you’re not keeping your appliances’ electrical safety to an acceptable standard and you aren’t able to prove your appliances are safe , your insurer could declare your policy invalid. This is the benefit of testing PAT.

If a claim is filed for any electrical malfunction caused by portable appliances that do not have the required PAT Testing Certificate, Insurance companies can deny any claim.

The majority of insurance companies require that electrical appliances be regularly checked.