To make sure they are safe – dangerous appliances can give users electric shocks and start fires. PAT testing reduces the chances of that happening
There are valid arguments for why you should get portable appliances tested, and there are arguments against getting appliances tested; usually created by people that don’t understand why it is done.
Electrical appliances are made to perform a function; an electric heater is designed to warm a room, a television is intended to be watched, a drill is built to drill holes in walls – these are all valid reasons for an electrical appliance to be made and they are what you, the consumer, sees the appliance as being.
From the other side, whilst I still watch the television, use the drill to make holes and heat a room with a heater I am also aware of what can go wrong if I don’t maintain each of these appliances.
Electricity is very dangerous, but we are protected from it by the safety elements built into the appliances we use, so that when the power travels through the appliance we do not get a shock if we touch it, but what happens if that safety element develops a fault?
The appliance could overheat, or the metal-work could become ‘live’; if an electrical appliance is ‘live’ because there is a fault with the earth element and the user touches some metal on the appliance they will get an electric shock.
In order to prevent this happening the appliance must be maintained. Now it will take an awfully long time, and isn’t considered best practice or value for money to employ a maintenance engineer to open up every appliance in your workplace to check the safety features of the appliances are still in place.
A much simpler, quicker and cheaper option is to get the appliances tested; a portable appliance test using a PAT machine following an inspection by a competent PAT engineer will find and possibly fix any faults found.
Any appliances still faulty (those that could give you an electric shock), or appliances being used incorrectly which could be at risk of overheating will be found out, removed from service until they can be appropriately maintained and reported.
This is why we get portable appliances tested, remembering the appliance test saves money, is quicker than usual maintenance and is a lot cheaper than employing a maintenance engineer.
In addition the PAT engineer also does the paperwork and provides you with a report, saving you a job, and ensuring you are complying with the appropriate Health and Safety regulations.
If you want to arrange for your portable appliances to be tested get a PAT testing quote today.
