PAT Testing in Newcastle Upon Tyne and across the North East
We can help you comply with Electrical Safety Regulations
Welcome to our site – we are DRA PAT Testing Ltd, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, founded in 2009. We cover all of Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and East Durham. We can test all types of electrical equipment, and any numbers whether you have 1 item or thousands. Normally we come to you to test equipment in-situ but if you only have a few items you could bring them to our office. We are the biggest independent PAT testing company in the North East, with more 5-star Google reviews than any UK PAT Testing provider.
Regular safety checks of electrical equipment (PAT Testing) help to prevent accidents and fires.
In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (ISITEE)
There may be a bit of confusion over the terms used to explain what we do, and that’s because the powers that be keep changing the name! Ultimately, we do In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (ISITEE), which covers all types of electrical equipment from computers to kitchen appliances to power tools and so on.
You probably know this as PAT Testing, or the previous term Portable Appliance Testing. The term PAT Testing was dropped and replaced with Electrical Equipment Testing, in the 2012 (4th Edition) of the Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing, then this was further enforced in the more recent 2020 (5th) edition.
However, PAT Testing has been a used and recognised term, seen as the best way to inspect, test and maintain safe electrical equipment since the 1980s, and probably will continue to be used for a long time to come, so we’ll keep using it.
You are probably here because you know you need your electrical equipment testing to comply with Health and Safety regulations, and or because you need a PAT Testing Certificate. Well, you’re in the right place.
We have the capability to test all types of electrical equipment, up to 3-phase 400v, fitted with plugs or hard wired. Our team are highly skilled engineers, well trained, competent, qualified and DBS checked. We are accredited members of CHAS and the Portable Appliance Testing Trade Association.
What our clients say about us…
Our Clients Include..
Electrical Equipment Testing Services for your Workplace
» We supply every client with fully compliant PAT Testing Certificate Reports, including electrical test readings giving you peace of mind that you comply with your legal obligations.
» We provide on site guidance to ensure retest periods meet your workplace’s fire risk assessments, with reminders for retests so you never forget to maintain safe equipment.
» We will carry out remedial repairs automatically and free of charge, including the supply and fit of replacement BS1363 plugs and fuses, recorded on the report, so you meet preventative maintenance requirements.
» We provide further guidance on how to improve or implement safety measures that relate to your workplace, based on what our engineers have seen, reducing the risk of electrical accidents.
» When server systems can’t be turned off, we can run a Thermal Image Surveys to check for any overheating components.
» Every item tested gets a new ID number, unique in our database so there is always a ‘paper trail’; the number connects the label on the appliance to the report provided.
» All our engineers are rigorously trained to our high standards with regular quality checks, qualified and competent, hold enhanced DBS, security checked and fully insured.
» We have the ability and skills to test fixed appliances (FAT) that have been hard wired, inspect the mains wiring of your building (EICR), test for microwave emissions leakage in commercial kitchens and test 3phase/400v equipment in industrial environments.
What is PAT Testing and why you need it
As a business owner, manager, responsible duty holder etc. you must do certain things to meet workplace Health and Safety requirements. In regards to the electrical systems in your building you need to ensure they are always as safe as they can be and meet the latest guidance and regulations.
This includes doing regular inspections and testing to check the systems are safe, including on the mains wiring installation and equipment plugged into it.
We can manage both of these for you – for the mains wiring you need to do regular Electrical Installation Condition inspections, which checks all the wiring, from which you get a report, referred to as an EICR. For more information see our page on fixed wiring inspections here.
For the equipment plugged into the mains, or hard wired to it, we carry out In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (ISITEE), commonly called Electrical Equipment Testing. In reference to appliances with plugs, we call this PAT testing, or Portable Appliance Testing. For equipment that has been hard wired, we call this Fixed Appliance Testing, but both services fall under the scope of Electrical Equipment Testing.
If you maintain safe electrical equipment through regular PAT, or FAT then you will be complying with UK workplace safety regulations including the Electricity at Work Act, Health and Safety at Work Act, etc.
In the UK, if you run any kind of business / workplace, you are required by law to make sure your equipment is safe. How you do this, and how often is up to you (your fire risk assessment) but don’t skip it. The best way to do this is PAT testing.
If your PAT Testing is kept up to date then you are going to be complying with the likes of ISO, CQC, Ofsted, local authorities, HMO Landlords Licenses, CHAS, etc.
Electrical Equipment Testing Services we provide
We aim to help you as best we can so you can get everything you need tested by one company. We specialise in the inspection and testing of electrical equipment, encompassing equipment fitted with a plug, and that has been hard wired, ensuring we are able to do every part that you need whether your facility is domestic, commercial or industrial.
We are also able to provide mains wiring installation inspections including EICRs and Emergency Lighting Testing.
Portable Appliance Testing
PAT is carried out on appliances fitted with a plug, this includes all electrical equipment / appliances in use.
We can check all types of appliances with a plug from standard BS1363 equipment to industrial items with ‘cform’ commando plugs up to 400v / 3Phase. More info.
Thermal Image Surveys
Sometimes equipment can’t be turned off, such as server systems. When this happens we check for danger using thermal imagery.
A thermal survey using a thermal camera will check all components to make sure there are no ‘hot spots’. When done alongside a PAT test, there is no extra charge for this service. More info.
Fixed Appliance Testing
FAT is carried out on appliances where the plug has been removed and the item has been hard wired to the mains.
We will inspect the appliance, and carry out a Point to Point earth continuity test as standard, alongside the PAT test of other equipment. More info
How we help businesses like yours in the North East
We work across all industries, from people working from home right through to heavy industry. Most of our work centres around small and local businesses but we also do public sector work for the Police, NHS etc.
We work in Cafe‘s and pubs, hotels and caravan parks, offices, doctors surgeries, hair and beaty salons, shops, factories, on building sites, in property for landlords, in church and church halls, community centres, holiday homes, for housing associations, museums and art galleries, schools and colleges. We visit home based workers for big companies, check 110v power tools in engineers vans and industrial 400v 3-phase equipment – whatever your business does, whatever electrical equipment you used, even the fixed type; we can help.
We carry out repairs to plugs, fuses and flexible cable for free; we replace ’13a’ plugs and fuses (3 to 13a) free too, and we check Microwave ovens for emissions leakage.
On completion of the job, our engineer will talk you through the job they have done, explain any repairs or faults found and discuss risk based retest periods with you so we can put in place a plan for when we come back to check your appliances again.
We’ll provide you with an itemised PAT Testing Certificate Report, guidance on retest periods and reminders when retests are due – helping you stay compliant at all times.
We also can test fixed appliances and do Electrical Installation Certificate Reports so you don’t need to work with 3 different providers, saving you time, money and hassle!
Outsourcing PAT testing saves you money and allows you to focus on your core business activities while ensuring compliance with electrical safety regulations.