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).

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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.

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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.

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