Djs and Bands

.

We carry out PAT testing for DJ's, Bands, Music studios and entertainers. Whatever equipment you might need from PA systems to projectors, mixers and decks to lighting and screens. We can  also test smoke machines to pyrotechnics. 

Please feel free to contact us and discuss equipment you might have and receive a free quote.

www.croydonpattesting.com

If you don't want to be turned away from gigs or venues then make sure all your equipment is PAT tested and you have your certification with you. Once payment has been received we can email you the certification and register ready intime for your performance.

We can offer an out of hours service in the evenings or weekends to make it easier for you to get all your equipment tested.

Nice to know we doing a great job !!

Excellent service, order booked and fulfilled within hours. Very professional, accommodating and efficient. A service we recommend, we will be sure to use Croydon PAT testing next time!

Pat Testing Croydon and Surrey

We are a small family run business, who provide a reliable and quality PAT testing service at the highest level.
We can carry out PAT testing for most industries. From Landlords to Offices, Events to Construction Sites and DJ's to Schools. Please visit our testing requirements page or contact us for more information.
Our web site is www.croydonpattesting.com
Or call me direct on 07886431799

There's Still time to book your pat testing for July

Please note if you are looking to get your equipment  Pat tested  we are now taking bookings for next month be quick to secure a day and time as we are very busy but still a great prices and service
please  visit our website for more information
Www.croydonpattesting.com 
get a free quote today
Or call me direct on 07886431799
Thank you
Darren
Croydon PAT Testing

PAT TESTING SERVICE (portable appliance testing)

DJ's and Bands we offer a full PAT testing service for all your disco equipment..

LANDLORDS we offer a full PAT testing service for all your tenants 

Events and DJs we offer a full PAT testing service for all Equipment 

And we cover a lot more then that so please feel free to go to our website for more info and prices 
www.croydonpattesting.com
Or call us on 
07886431799 
Darren 

PAT TESTING PRICES IN CROYDON AND SURREY AREA

Our Services
We are a small family run business, who provide a reliable and quality PAT testing service at the highest level.
We can carry out PAT testing for most industries. From Landlords to Offices, Events to Construction Sites and DJ's to Schools. Please visit our testing requirements page or contact us for more information.

What is Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)
Portable appliance testing (PAT) is the term used to describe the examination of electrical appliances and equipment to ensure they are safe to use. Most electrical safety defects can be found by visual examination but some types of defect can only be found by testing. However, it is essential to understand that visual examination is an essential part of the process because some types of electrical safety defect can't be detected by testing alone.

From as little as £35 depending on your location and number of items.

Up to 15 items £45, additional items @ £1.00

Up to 50 items £65, additional items @ .90p 

Up to 200 items £150, 
additional items @ .80p

Over 200 items please contact us for a free quote.

Email      :  pattestingcroydon@hotmail.com

Website : www.croydonpattesting.com
Phone     : 07886431799 

The UK Health and Safety Executive along with insurance companies will expect you to perform PAT testing to ensure that you are compliant with certain regulations including:


1.Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 

2.The Electricity at Work Regulations of 1989 

3.The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations of 1998 

4.The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations of 1999

Pat testing for Small offices

Doesn't cost a fortune to get your equipment  PAT testing

Small offices start from only £65 for 50 items

Visit Croydon PAT TESTING for a free quote today or call me direct on 07886431799

Darren 

www.croydonpattesting.com

Our new websites

Please note all our websites sites are now mobile responsive and have a new look but you still get a fantastic service and great prices
Www.croydonpattesting.com

www.electricalpattestingcroydon.co.uk

www.electricalpattestingcroydon.com

FREQUENCY OF ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS/TESTS

Introduction

The Electrical Safety Council has recently published a Landlord’s Guide to Electrical Safety.

There is a distinction so far as electrical safety is concerned between the fixed installations (i.e. wiring circuits, switches, sockets, light fittings and circuit boards on the one hand and appliances which can be plugged in and which will often be portable (e.g. refrigerators, electric cookers, kettles, toasters etc on the other).

With rented residential accommodation it is the Landlord’s responsibility to ensure that the electrical inspection ofbthe appliances by the landlord are safe when the tenancy begins and are in proper working order throughout the tenancy. At the start of the tenancy and throughout both must be free of risk of injury to tenants and residents. The local authority can take action to enforce electrical safety in residential accommodation under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).

For further details visit 

Www.croydonpattesting.com

The Guidance makes recommendations regarding inspections and testing of the electrical installations and appliances.

Houses in Multiple Occupation

If the property is a house in multiple occupation then the Management Regulations require the manager to take safety measures and to maintain electrical installation. Very importantly for all HMOs (not just licensable HMOs) there is an obligation to have fixed electrical installations in every HMO inspected and tested at intervals not exceeding 5 years by a qualified electrician. A certificate must be obtained. The local authority can require a certificate to be produced in 7 days if they ask.

Part P Building Regulations

Part P of the Building Regulations requires that most fixed electrical installation work must meet Building Regulation requirements. Thus, the work must either be pre-notified to the local authority or be carried out by a registered electrician 

Electrical Installations

The Landlord should carry out a regular basic visual safety check of the electrical installation to ensure that these are safe. This should detect broken items such as sockets and light switches or signs of scorching around the sockets due to overloading or damaged cables etc.

The Institute of Electrical Engineers recommends 10 years as the maximum period between tests of electrical installations by an electrician but this relates to the period between the initial inspection (when the installation was first installed) and the first periodic inspection/test. Subsequent periods for inspection/tests would depend on the condition of the installation. What the Electrical Safety Council now recommends in this latest Guidance for rented accommodation is that period inspections/tests by a qualified electrician are carried out at least every 5 years or on a change of tenancy. As pointed out above, if the property is a house in multiple occupation of any kind (which will include shared houses) there is a statutory requirement to carry out such inspection/test every 5 years anyway.

The Institute of Electrical Engineers also recommends for residential accommodation that an inspection/test is carried out on a change of occupancy. These are inspections/tests by a qualified electrician.

The Electrical Safety Council Guide says that where a change of tenancy occurs within a short period (for example not more than 6 months) a full inspection/test may not always be required. However, it is imperative that a landlord’s representative carries out a visual electrical safety inspection prior to reletting. This should undertake a manual test of any residual current devices.

As an alternative to a full test/inspection the Guide suggests a visual condition report, also carried out by a qualified electrician. However a visual condition report is only suitable where the installations have been inspected and tested in the last two years and the result was satisfactory or any resulting defects have been rectified.

Electrical Appliances

In relation to portable electrical appliances, there is no legal obligation in the case of rented residential accommodation to carry out a portable appliance test (PAT)

It is left to landlord's discretion. The exception to this would be where you have an employee working or living in rented accommodation (e.g. in a care home type situation). However, the Electrical Safety Council’s Guidance recommends portable appliance testing to satisfy the obligation to ensure that any portable electrical appliances which the landlord provides under the tenancy are safe at the point of letting, and at periodic intervals after that.

The Guidance recommends that when providing portable appliances for tenants, the landlord should check that every appliance has a CE mark. It also recommends that you should only provide appliances with additional safety marks e.g. the British Standard Guidance mark or the BEAB approved mark.

Tenants should be provided with instruction manuals and be told to read and follow them.

If you do not undertake PAT tests, the Guidance recommends that portable appliances should be checked by the landlord before letting the property to ensure that there are no cuts/abrasions to the cable, the plug is satisfactory, there are no loose parts or screws, that there are no signs of burning and there is no damage. You are recommended to regularly check them after that.

There is detailed guidance regarding the frequency of carrying out PAT testing. PAT testing must only be carried out by a qualified person. 

What is Portable Appliance Testing?

Portable Appliance Testing “PAT Testing” (the correct term being In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment) is carried out on a routine basis to determine whether the particular item of equipment is in a safe condition for continued use.

When people work with electrical appliances, health and safety regulations state that the appliance must be safe, to prevent harm to the workers. Many types of equipment require testing at regular intervals to ensure continual safety; the interval between tests depending on both the type of appliance and the environment it is used in. PAT testing is therefore an important part of a company’s or individual’s responsibility to health and safety.

Do I need to PAT test?

Do you provide electrical equipment for use by your employees, visitors, students, guests or tenants?

If the answer is YES to any of the above – then to ensure their safety, you need to have a regular maintenance schedule in place. Portable Appliance Testing is an important part of a company’s or individual’s responsibility to health and safety.

Regardless of any legal requirements, the consequences of an electrical fault causing a fire or resulting in somebody receiving an electric shock have to be considered. If you are still not sure whether you need to PAT test, please contact us at www.croydonpattesting.com

Does PAT Testing affect our insurance cover?

Insurance companies assume that when providing insurance cover to a business, the owners of that business are complying with all regulations necessary. An insurance company may reduce, delay or even refuse to pay on a claim for damage if an electrical appliance that has not been tested has caused the damage.

Visit www.croydonpattesting.com for more info and prices 

How often do my appliances have to be PAT tested?

The relevant requirement of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 is that equipment shall be maintained so as to prevent danger. Inspection and testing are means of determining whether maintenance is required. The frequency of inspection and testing will depend upon the likelihood of maintenance being required and the consequence of lack of maintenance. Factors influencing the decision are: the environment, the users, the equipment construction and the equipment type. Taking all the above into consideration, most clients have their appliances tested every 12 months. For appliances in harsh industrial environments 6 months would be more appropriate. For IT equipment in an office environment 24 months or longer may be all that is required.

Portable appliance testing

(commonly known as "PAT", "PAT Inspection" or "PAT Testing") is the name of a process in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand and Australia by which electrical appliances are routinely checked for safety. The correct term for the whole process is "in-service inspection & testing of electrical equipment".

Similar procedures exist in other countries, for example, testing of equipment according to BGV A3 in Germany.

Health and safety regulations require that electrical appliances are safe and maintained to prevent harm to workers. Many equipment manufacturers recommend testing at regular intervals to ensure continual safety; the interval between tests depending on both the type of appliance and the environment in which it is to be used. The European Low Voltage Directive governs the manufacture or importation of electrical appliances. Compliance to this has to be declared and indicated by the display of the CE mark on the product. The responsibility for this lies with the manufacturer or the importer and is policed by Trading Standards.

Testing equipment has been specifically developed for PAT inspections, based on the testing equipment used by manufacturers to ensure compliance with the British Standard Code of Practice and European product standards relevant to that type of appliance. This in turn allows testing and the interpretation of results to be de-skilled to a large extent. 

Croydon PAT Testing prices

From as little as £35 depending on your location and number of items.

We offer a full service of PAT testing at the following rates:

Up to 15 items £45, additional items @ £1.00

Up to 50 items £65, additional items @ .90p

Up to 200 items £150,
additional items @ .80p

Over 200 items please contact us for a free quote.

There is no VAT to be added.

We accept Cash, Bank Transfers and Credit/Debit Cards. Please note there will be a 3% charge added when cards are used.

Certificates and registers will be issued when full payment has been received and cleared.

www.croydonpattesting.com

Croydon Pat testing

We are a small family run business, who provide a reliable and quality PAT testing service at the highest level.
We can carry out PAT testing for most industries. From Landlords to Offices, Events to Construction Sites and DJ's to Schools. Please visit our testing requirements page or contact us for more information.

Www.croydonpattesting.com

WHO NEEDS PAT TESTING?

The Health and Safety Executive guidance topics state the requirement that “any electrical equipment that has the potential to cause injury is maintained in a safe condition.” Thus, it is important for any business owner, from a sole proprietorship who works from home, from a large multi-national corporation to ensure compliance with this requirement. The responsibility of safe appliances lies with the person who is the duty holder; this could be a business owner, landlord, equipment user, or manager of a premisis.

Any portable appliance in a working area, from a printer to a kettle, to a microwave to even a vacuum cleaner, should have periodic portable appliance testing, especially via a qualified and certified PAT Testing engineer. A PAT Testing engineer will know exactly what to look for and where to look for it, from plugs and outlets to the casings around any portable appliances.

Another group who need to consider adding PAT Testing to their yearly business practice are landlords. If a person is letting out accommodation in order to make money as a business venture, and this includes such places as flats, boats and holiday rentals, then they fall under the same safety regulations as a standard office building. Flats still have plugs and wiring, as well as portable electronic appliances such as microwaves, kettles, and washing machines and all these portable appliances are under the responsibility of the landlord to ensure they are safe under the 1994 Electrical Equipment Regulations.

Other businesses that should perform frequent PAT Testing include beauty salons, night clubs, hotels, doctors’ offices, and health clubs. PAT Testing does not just apply to standard offices with computers and copiers, but any workplace that has portable electric appliances. It not only a smart business move to have all of the companies appliances checked and up to date, but it also ensures the health and safety of both their employees and their customers for the future

Portable Appliance Equipment

There are many European standards and guidance notes regarding portable appliances and equipment, though they do not establish a common and specific definition of such equipment. Even so, there does seem to be a consensus of opinion that such equipment is either hand held whilst being connected to the supply, or is intended to be moved whilst connected to the supply, or is capable of being moved without undue difficulty whilst connected to the supply.

It is usual for this equipment to be connected to the supply via a plug and socket, however this is not a requirement for electrical equipment to be deemed portable or transportable. It is common to define a portable appliance by saying that it is 'anything with a plug top on the end of it'. This is a mistake as it may mean that there are some appliances in the system that are never tested.
The National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers (napit) define a portable appliance as 'any electrical item which can or is intended, to be moved whilst connected to an electrical supply.'
The IEE Code of Practice gives guidance on the various equipment types:

Portable appliance

An appliance of less than 18kg in mass that is intended to be moved whilst in operation or an appliance which can easily be moved from one place to another, e.g. vacuum cleaner, toaster, food mixer, etc.

Movable equipment (transportable)

This equipment is either:
18 kg or less in mass and not fixed, e.g. electric fire.
or
Equipment with wheels, castors or other means to facilitate movement by the operator as required to perform its intended use, e.g. air conditioning unit.

Hand Held equipment or appliances

This is portable equipment intended to be held in the hand during normal use, e.g. hair dryer.

Stationary equipment or appliances

This equipment has a mass exceeding 18kg and is not provided with a carrying handle, e.g. refrigerator.

Fixed Equipment/appliances

This equipment or an appliance which is fastened to a support or otherwise secured in a specific location, e.g. bathroom heater.

Appliances/equipment for building in

This equipment id intended to be installed in a prepared recess such as a cupboard or similar. In general, equipment for building in does not have exposure on all sides because one or more of the sides, additional protection against electrical shock is provided by the surroundings, e.g. built in electric cooker.

Landlords therefore need to regularly maintain the electrical equipment

Anyone who lets residential accommodation (such as houses, flats and bedsits, holiday homes, caravans and boats) as a business activity is required by law to ensure the equipment they supply as part of the tenancy is safe.The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 requires that all mains electrical equipment (cookers, washing machines, kettles, etc), new or second-hand, supplied with the accommodation must be safe. Landlords therefore need to regularly maintain the electrical equipment they supply to ensure it is safe.The supply of goods occurs at the time of the tenancy contract. It is, therefore, essential that property is checked prior to the tenancy to ensure that all goods supplied are in a safe condition. A record should be made of the goods supplied as part of the tenancy agreement and of checks made on those goods. The record should indicate who carried out the checks and when they did it.It is strongly advisable to have the equipment checked before the start of each let. It would be good practice to have the equipment checked at regular intervals thereafter. You should obtain and retain test reports detailing the equipment, the tests carried out and the results.

Extension leads

Extension Leads

The length of an extension lead should be checked to ensure that it is not so great that the appliance performance may be affected by voltage drop. Additionally, the length should not exceed the following:

core area maximum length

1.25mm2 12 metres

1.5mm2 15 metres

2.5mm2 25 metres

2.5mm2 extension leads are too large for standard 13A plugs, although they may be used with BS EN 60309 industrial plugs. Extension leads exceeding the above lengths should be fitted with a 30mA RCD manufactured to BS 7071.

Users of extension leads must be made aware of the following:

Users of extension leads must be made aware of the following:

• Long extension leads have a higher power rating when un-coiled compared to when they are coiled. If the user intends to use the extension lead to power say a 2kW heater, then it is very important that it is fully uncoiled. If it is not coiled, then there is a risk of a fire breaking out.

• An extension lead wired with normal 13A cable should not be longer than 12 meters.

• An extension lead must not be plugged into another extension lead such that their total length exceeds 12 meters.

• If the extension lead is longer than 12m, then it must be fitted with a Residual Current Device (RCD) with a rated operating current not exceeding 30mA.

The PAT guidance for extension cables

The PAT guidance for extension cables says that they must always be three core (LNE) and should not exceed 12 metres in length for core diameters of 1.25mm2, 15m for 1.5mm2 and 25m for 2.5mm2. Smaller cable core diameters are not specified as far as I know, although where the cable length is longer than those listed above the cable can be used if protected by a 30mA RCD.

The 25m, 2.5mm2 extension cable should be fed via a 60309-2 (16A) plug by the way, rather than the standard BS1363 (13A) plug

PAT TESTING CROYDON AND SURREY AREAS

PAT TESTING CROYDON AND SURREY AREAS 

From as little as £35 depending on your location and number of items

Www.croydonpattesting.comhttp://www.croydonpattesting.com/Requirements.php

DJ's and Bands we offer a full PAT testing service for all your disco equipment..

LANDLORDS we offer a full PAT testing service for all your tenants 

EVENTS we offer a full PAT testing service for all Equipment 

OFFICES we offer a great price for any size office or business 

And we cover a lot more then that so please feel free to go to our website for more info and prices at www.croydonpattesting.com
Or call us me direct on 07886431799 Darren

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) should be part of every compay's H&Sregime.

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) should be part of every compay's H&S regime. Unfortunately, not every compnay places the same emphasis on electrical appliances safety, as it does on other areas. 25% of all injuries within the working environment, are caused by faulty electrical appliances, FACT. Having PAT as part of your H&S regime, will ensure you comply with the H&S at work act & not give your Commercial Insurers a loop hole when considering paying out on a relevant claim. Low in cost, high in service, low numbers specialist, Croydon and Surrey areas covered, www.croydonpattesting.comhttp://www.croydonpattesting.com

PAT TESTING LANDLORDS

Landlords
You are required by law to produce a current PAT testing certificate for the property you are renting out along with a gas and electrical certificates.
FOR A FREE QUOTE VIST
http://croydonpattesting.com/Landlords.php

EVENTS AND DJS PAT TESTING

EVENTS AND DJS 
BY LAW NOW ALL VENUES WILL HAVE TO MAKE SURE ALL YOUR EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN PAT TESTED BEFORE ALLOWING YOU IN TO THE VENUE  
GET A FREE QUOTE TODAY 
www.croydonpattesting.com/DJs.php

Redhill and Surrey pat testing service

Redhill and Surrey pat testing service

We can offer pat testing services for all
DJs
Bands
Events
Offices
Landlords
Doctors
Dentists
And a lot more
Please feel free to check out our website for more information and prices
Www.electricalpattestingcroydon.co.uk

IEC leads, or kettle leads

Please be aware that detachable power leads (IEC leads, or kettle leads) need to be tested IN ADDITION to the equipment they connect to. 
For free quote today visit 
Www.electricalpattestingcroydon.co.uk
Or call me direct on 
07886431799
Darren

About us

We are a small family run business that carries out all PAT TESTING for every type of business and equipment
click on link for prices and more information 

WWW.CROYDONPATTESTING.COMhttp://www.croydonpattesting.com

Pat Testing service in croydon and surrey

Pat Testing service in croydon and surrey great prices and service #event#djs #officeproblems #Business #landlords #LandlordTest

Www.croydonpattesting.com

Www.electricalpattestingcroydon.co.uk

Www.electricalpattestingcroydon.com

Croydon pat testing

PAT TESTING SERVICE GREAT PRICES IN CROYDON AND SURREY VISIT WWW.CROYDONPATTESTING.COM OR CALL ME DIRECT ON 07886431799 DARREN

Some Areas we Cover

We cover all theses areas #Sutton #Redhill #Croydon #Coulsdon 
#Surrey #Ashtead #Bletchingly #Belmont #Banstead #Caterham #Cheam#Cobham

Pat testing service ‪#‎Ashtead‬ ‪#‎Bletchingly‬ ‪#‎Belmont‬ ‪#‎Banstead‬ ‪#‎Caterham‬‪#‎Cheam‬ ‪#‎Cobham‬, ‪#‎Croydon‬ ‪#‎Carshalton‬ ‪#‎Coulsdon‬ ‪#‎Godstone‬‪#‎Godalming‬

We are a small family run business, who provide a reliable and quality PAT testing service at the very highest level

These are just a few areas that we cover. If you can't find what you are looking for contact us today to find out if we cover your area.

Kent - Bromley, Beckenham, Biggin Hill, Edenbridge & Sevenoaks

Surrey - Ashtead, Bletchingly, Belmont, Banstead, Caterham, Cheam, Cobham, Croydon, Carshalton, Coulsdon, Godstone, Godalming, New Malden, Mitcham, Oxted, Purley, Redhill, Rose Hill, Sutton, Selson, Tadworth, Wallington, Warlingham, Woldingham, Worcester Park, Wimbledon, Epsom, Esher, Ewell & Kingston

West Sussex - East Grinstead, Horley, Salfords, Gatwick, SmallFields & Crawley

IEC protection classes

In the electrical appliance manufacturing industry, the following IEC protection classes are used to differentiate between theprotective-earth connection requirements of devices.

Class 0Edit

These appliances have no protective-earth connection and feature only a single level of insulation and were intended for use in dry areas. A single fault could cause an electric shock or other dangerous occurrence. Sales of these items have been banned in the UK since 1975.^{[citation needed]}

Class I 

These appliances must have their chassis connected to electrical earth (US: ground) by a separate earth conductor (coloured green/yellow in most countries, green in the US, Canada and Japan). The earth connection is achieved with a 3-conductor mains cable, typically ending with 3-prong AC connector which plugs into a corresponding AC outlet. The basic requirement is that no single failure can result in dangerous voltage becoming exposed so that it might cause an electric shock and that if a fault occurs the supply will be removed automatically (this is sometimes referred to as ADS = Automatic Disconnection of Supply)

A fault in the appliance which causes a live conductor to contact the casing will cause a current to flow in the earth conductor. If large enough, this current will trip an over-current device (fuse or circuit breaker (CB)) and disconnect the supply . The disconnection time has to be fast enough not to allow fibrillation to start if a person is in contact with the casing at the time. This time and the current rating in turn sets a maximum earth resistance permissible. To provide supplementary protection against high-impedance faults it is common to recommend a residual-current device (RCD) also known as a residual current circuit breaker (RCCB), ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), or residual current operated circuit-breaker with integral over-current protection (RCBO), which will cut off the supply of electricity to the appliance if the currents in the two poles of the supply are not equal and opposite.

Class II

A Class II or double insulated electrical appliance is one which has been designed in such a way that it does not require a safety connection to electrical earth (ground).

The basic requirement is that no single failure can result in dangerous voltage becoming exposed so that it might cause an electric shock and that this is achieved without relying on an earthed metal casing. This is usually achieved at least in part by having two layers of insulating material surrounding live parts or by using reinforced insulation.

In Europe, a double insulated appliance must be labelled Class II, double insulated, or bear the double insulation symbol (a square inside another square).

Insulated AC/DC power supplies (such as cell-phone chargers) are typically designated as Class II, meaning that the DC output wires are isolated from the AC input. The designation "Class II" should not be confused with the designation "Class 2", as the latter is unrelated to insulation (it originates from standard UL 1310, setting limits on maximum output voltage/current/power).

Class III

A Class III appliance is designed to be supplied from a separated/safety extra-low voltage (SELV) power source. The voltage from a SELV supply is low enough that under normal conditions a person can safely come into contact with it without risk of electrical shock. The extra safety features built into Class I and Class II appliances are therefore not required. For medical devices, compliance with Class III is not considered sufficient protection, and further more-stringent regulations apply to such equipment.

We can be found at 

www.croydonpattesting.com

www.electricalpattestingcroydon.com

www.electricalpattestingcroydon.co.uk

please feel free to call me on 

07886431799

or email me 

croydonpattesting@hotmail.com

Electrical Safety

Electrical Safety – the Key Points

• There are around 30 deaths and 4,000 accidents annually in the UK involving electrics, so don’t think it can’t happen in your properties.
• If you let property in England & Wales you must ensure that electrical equipment and the electrical system are safe.
• There is currently no statutory requirement to have annual safety checks on electrical equipment as there is with gas, but it advisable to do so as you can still be liable if things go wrong.
• You should ensure that tenants are given copies of operating and safety instructions for ALL equipment in the premises and you should carry out regular checks.
• Some gas service companies (Gas Safe Registered) now do electrical checks when they do the annual gas checks.

Electrical Safety in Rental Property

Apart from the Landlord’s Common Law duty of care, the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 (and several other statutory regulations see below) requires that the electrical equipment is safe at the start of every tenancy and maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy.

Electrical hazards are also covered by the Housing Health and safety Rating System under the Housing Act 2004.

In the case of commercial property and houses in multiple occupation there is a statutory duty under the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 for the responsible person (the property manager) to carry out annual Fire Safety Risk Assessments, which include electrical safety risks.

If you let property you must ensure that the electrical system and all appliances supplied are safe – failure to comply with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 and the The Consumer Protection Act 1987 is a criminal offence and may result in:

• A fine of £5,000 per item not complying
• Six month’s imprisonment
• Possible manslaughter charges in the even of deaths
• The Tenant may also sue you for civil damages
• Your property insurance may be invalidated

These regulations are enforced by the Health & Safety Executive.

Read the article “Electrical Checks – Why bother? by Grant Roy MSc MIEE, chartered electrical engineer.

Landlord Guide

It is important to ensure that all electrical appliances and fittings within the property are safe and in good working order. Unlike gas regulations, there is no law that says you must have a landlord electrical safety certificate. But, should any electrical fittings or appliances within your rental property cause harm to a tenant you could be held liable.

Manage your property well and the risks to you as landlord or agent are minimal, but manage it badly and your risks are high.

You are advised to make visual inspections yourself as landlord or agent in residential properties (record on a safety checklist) and have periodic checks carried out by a qualified electrician.

• Ideally, ensure that the electrical system complies with the latest wiring regulations.
• Make sure a circuit breaker (RCD) is fitted to power circuits.
• Keep supplied appliances to a minimum.
• Make sure appliances supplied are complete and in working order – keep purchase receipts.
• Pay particular attention to second hand equipment – always have these items checked.
• Ensure that operating instructions and safety warning notices are supplied with the appliances.
• Ensure that flexes are in good order and properly attached to appliances and plugs.
• Ensure that earth tags are in place.
• Ensure that plugs are of an approved type with sleeved live and neutral pins.
• Ensure that plugs and sockets conform to BS1363 or BS1363/A for heavy duty uses.
• Ensure that all fuses are of the correct type and rating.
• Make sure that tenants know the location of and have access to the main consumer unit, fuses and isolator switch.
• Make a note of all fuse ratings on the inventory.

If you are in any doubt about the wiring or the safety of any appliances consult a qualified electrician.

Regulations

There is no statutory obligation on landlords or agents to have professional checks carried out on the electrical system or appliances. However, under Common Law and various statutory regulations: The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, The Housing Act 2004, The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, and the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994, both of which come under the Consumer Protection Act 1987, there is an obligation to ensure that all electrical equipment is safe.

In January 2005 new legislation under Part P of the Building Regulations make it a requirement that for certain types of electrical work in dwellings, plus garages, sheds, greenhouses and outbuilding comply with the standards. This means a competent electrician must carry out the work. For DIY electrical work you must belong to one of the Government’s approved Competent Person Self-Certification schemes or submit a building notice to the local authority before doing the work.

Compliance

We strongly recommend that any Landlord, regardless of whether they see themselves as running a business or not, should make absolutely sure they are complying with these regulations to ensure that all electrical equipment supplied is safe.

In order to do this we recommend:

• Annual visual inspections by the landlord or agent – recording this on a safety checklist.
• Inspections on tenant change-overs, recording electrical equipment, its condition and fuses fitted – see PAT Testing.
• Periodic inspections of electrical equipment by a qualified electrician.
• 5 yearly inspections by a qualified electrician to ensure safety and that the electrical system complies with current electrical regulations.
• Keep all records of these inspections.

Due Diligence

In the event of a tenant complaint or an incident the defence of “due diligence” may be accepted where it can be shown that the landlord or agent took all reasonable steps to avoid committing an offence – you will need documentary evidence of this.

A private owner letting a single dwelling (not in the course of business) may have a defence, whereas an agent acting on his behalf will not. However, an agent merely introducing a tenant and not becoming involved in the inventory or management of the tenancy my well be exempt from liability