DECEMBER 2012

HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDES

Portable Appliance Testing in Low Risk Environments

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is a technique for managing portable electrical equipment but is one which has grown
beyond its original goals to become something of an uncontrolled beast. The Lfstedt Review of November 2011
recognised this and recommended that changes were implemented to stop the over-compliance with PAT, and this
was done in 2012.
This change was achieved with a change to INDG236, with Revision 2 published by the Health and Safety Executive in
April 2012. This document, Maintaining Portable Electrical Equipment in Low Risk Environments clarifies PAT
requirements for a lot of equipment which is common in most offices. (See References at the end of this Guide for a link
to the HSEs website for a copy of it).

What the law actually says

The law (the Electricity at Work Regulations) just says that you must
maintain electrical equipment in a safe condition but it does not specify
any testing regime or testing frequency. The owner of the equipment
must decide what maintenance is needed based on the risk of the item
becoming a danger. To be clear, this applies to equipment which
employees use at work, whether it is owned by the employer, the
employee or anybody else.
There are two types of check on the equipment a visual inspection and
the full PAT.

Portable Appliance Testing

This must be done by someone who is suitably qualified, and examples
of this include a qualified electrician or someone who has completed
City and Guilds 2377. INDG236 is very clear on who determines the
testing frequency of equipment, stating: The person carrying out the
test should not assess when the next test will be due as this decision
should be made by you on a risk assessment basis.

Class II Double insulated equipment

This is equipment which has extra insulation and INDG236(Rev2) is
explicit that It will not need a portable appliance test, although you
should ensure that user checks and visual inspection are carried out. So,
you do not need a full PAT on Class II equipment, but document an inhouse user check. What is a user check its simple, and detailed in
INDG236(Rev2) so just follow the link at the end and grab a copy.

New Equipment
Just to be completely clear new electrical equipment DOES NOT legally
need a full PAT before being put into use. It is supplied in a safe
condition and it is reasonable for the employer to assume this and only
then include it in PAT when it comes due.

STUFF THAT DOESNT

NEED PAT EVERY YEAR
INDG236(Rev2) is very
clear that not everything in
a low risk environment
needs a full PAT every
year. In a lot of cases a
visual inspection is enough
and other equipment such
as floor cleaners or kettles
may need PAT but not
every year.

--------------------

LAW OR NOT LAW?

PAT is not law, it is good
advice and is one way of
maintaining electrical
equipment safely. But not
having a PAT system is not
itself breaking the law, just
that you should have some
other system in place
which is equally as good at
managing electrical risks.
As thats hard to do, just
follow PAT and youll not
go too far wrong. See the
extract on Page 3.

noise assessments and training

workplace audiometry (hearing tests)
health and safety assistance
risk assessments
fire risk assessment
Tel: 0800 121 8710
fire training
e-mail: hello@hsmc.co.uk

HSMC
Darkes Barn (West)
Conderton
Tewkesbury
Gloucestershire
GL20 7PP

DECEMBER 2012

HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDES

The Health and Safety Overlords at the HSE have included a table of suggested testing frequencies and included it in
INDG236(Rev2) and this is the starting point for determining if PAT is needed and its frequencies:
User
Checks

Formal visual inspection

Combined inspection and

testing (PAT)

Battery operated (less than 40 volts)

No

No

No

Extra low voltage (less than 50 volts AC):

Telephone equipment, low voltage desk
lights

No

No

No

Desktop computers, VDU screens

No

Yes, 2-4 years

No if double insulated,
otherwise up to 5 years.

Photocopiers, fax machines, or eqpt. which

is not hand-held, rarely moved

No

Yes, 2-4 years

No if double insulated,
otherwise up to 5 years.

Double insulated (Class II) equipment: Not

hand-held, moved occasionally, e.g. fans or
table lamps

No

Yes, 2-4 years

No

Double insulated (Class II) equipment: Hand

held, e.g. some floor cleaners, some kitchen
equipment

Yes

Yes, 6 months to 1 year

No

Earthed equipment (Class I): Electric

kettles, some floor cleaners, some kitchen
equipment and irons

Yes

Yes, 6 months to 1 year

Yes, 1-2 years

Cables (leads and plugs connected to the

above) and mains voltage extension leads
and battery charging equipment

Yes

Yes, 6 months to 4 years

depending on the type of
equipment it is connected to

Yes, 1-5 years depending on

the type of equipment it is
connected to

Equipment / environment

This makes it very clear that:

Battery operated equipment does not need PAT.

Double-insulated Class II equipment does not need PAT.

Computers and IT equipment does not need PAT if it is Class II, or needs a test every five years if Class I.

Class II kettes dont need PAT, or need it every couple of years if Class I.

Extension leads and battery chargers can can be up to five yearly.

These are guidelines and if experience in the company is that problems are developing, then this historical data should be
used to amend the testing schedule to as frequently as needed.

Class II
So, one piece of advice, buy Class II equipmet wherever possible meaning equipment which has this symbol
on it or on its label somewhere. If you do there are fewer visual inspections and fewer PATs needed.

noise assessments and training

workplace audiometry (hearing tests)
health and safety assistance
risk assessments
fire risk assessment
Tel: 0800 121 8710
fire training
e-mail: hello@hsmc.co.uk

HSMC
Darkes Barn (West)
Conderton
Tewkesbury
Gloucestershire
GL20 7PP

DECEMBER 2012

HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDES

So what should you do?

Low risk environments, e.g. offices, shops and warehouses should therefore:
1.

Maintain a register of the portable appliances held, basically a list of them all which shows what needs
testing.

2.

On the basis of risk assessment and the guidance table above, decide on suitable testing frequencies and
note it in the register, based on:

3.

a.

How likely is the equipment to be damaged due to its location?

b.

Is it Class I or Class II (Class II has the double-square logo on the label)?

Train people, (can be many or just one or two) to do visual inspections

and INGG236(Rev2) outlines what the people doing visual inspections
need to know. INDG236(Rev2) states that visual inspection do not need
to be done by an electrician and a basic electrical knowledge is sufficient.
The inspection should include removal of the plug cover to check for
faults.

References
It is worth noting that some of the HSEs other guidance pre-dates Revision 2 of
INDG236(Rev2) therefore there may be inconsistencies when compared to older
documentation.

INDG236(Rev2) can be downloaded here: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg236.pdf

It should be remembered that this is LOW RISK ENVIRONMENTS, eg. Offices. Higher risk sites
such as construction, etc. should use more frequent testing, use of 110V equipment, etc.

And a last word - this is directly from the HSEs website:

If anyone tells you all portable equipment in lower risk environments must be tested every year then tell them to go
away. Not all equipment has to be done every year, and in special circumstances some higher risk equipment may be
more than once a year. If they tell you it all has to be annually in an office then chances are they are over-selling and you
are over-complying.

noise assessments and training

workplace audiometry (hearing tests)
health and safety assistance
risk assessments
fire risk assessment
Tel: 0800 121 8710
fire training
e-mail: hello@hsmc.co.uk

HSMC
Darkes Barn (West)
Conderton
Tewkesbury
Gloucestershire
GL20 7PP