The North East’s PAT Testing experts; where your safety and compliance matter

We provide Portable and Fixed Appliance Testing (PAT) in Newcastle and across the North East.

DRA PAT Testing offer high standards at a sensible price, honest guidance and compliant PAT Testing Certificate Reports. We are accredited through CHAS, PATTA and DBS checked.

Google Rating
5.0
Based on 357 reviews
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Contractors Health and Safety Scheme Logo
Portable Appliance Testing Trade Association Logo

Portable and Fixed Appliance Testing in Newcastle Upon Tyne and across the North East

Regular Electrical Safety Inspections are essential to ensure your electrical systems are safe and meet the latest compliance to protect your property and people.

We are the North East’s premier PAT Testers; a leading In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (ISITEE) company, with over 15 years experience, and have completed over 1.3 Million appliance checks.

With our office in North Shields, we work with businesses, schools and other organisations throughout Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, Co. Durham and across the UK.

As well as specialising in PAT testing, we can also help you maintain your fixed electrical installation through EICRs, Fixed Appliance Testing and Emergency Lighting Inspections.

Richard Ayre, Director of DRA PAT Testing

What our clients say about us…

Excellent
5.0
Based on 357 reviews
1st time I've used DRA, will be using the team again. Turned up bang on time and quickly received testing certificate. Highly recommended.
DRA have recently carried out our annual PAT Testing to various areas of our organisation, they are very thorough and professional. We received a detailed report after which was very helpful to send to other departments to remove any items which failed. Highly recommended
The team came to our Hub. This is the second year we have used them for their PAT testing service at work. Very thorough, very professional and the team were friendly. Would recommend.
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Excellent
5.0
Based on 357 reviews
1st time I've used DRA, will be using the team again. Turned up bang on time and quickly received testing certificate. Highly recommended.
Response from the owner: Thanks Caroline. Were so happy that you’re happy with our work 😁
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Our Clients Include..

Durham Constabulary
Jackson Hogg Recruitment
Nexus Logo - Tyne and Wear Travel System
Centre for Life logo Newcastle
The Beacon of Light, Sunderland
Smart Academies of Schools in Newcastle upon Tyne

DRA PAT Testing Ltd – A PAT Testing Company you can trust

A PAT Testing company you can trust, with fair prices and high standards, our all inclusive service is utilised by clients throughout the UK. Our clients have peace of mind from our work because they know when we say an appliance is safe, it really is.

  Free remedial repairs including rewires, replacement BS1363 plugs and fuses

  Guidance on how to improve safety through cable management and socket protection

  Comprehensive, compliant PAT Testing Certificate Reports including electrical readings

  Guidance on retest periods based on risk, compliance and insurance

We are currently one of the leading PAT testing companies in the North East with more 5-star reviews (over 500 across all platforms) than any other UK PAT Tester.

We have a team of experienced, qualified professional engineers all trained to operate to high standards, who work with assigned clients long term ensuring the best possible nurtured relationship which in turn leads to you having peace of mind that the engineer knows your business and how to maintain safety within it.

We believe in taking away your stress, by managing your electrical safety inspections for you, and reminding you when they are next due, so you can forget all about them. We can test all types of electrical equipment including industrial, 3-phase and fixed equipment as well as fixed wiring inspections.

Our Electrical Inspection and Testing Services

DRA PAT Testing are here to help you in all aspects of maintaining safe electrical systems, whether you need Portable appliances testing, hard wired equipment and the mains wiring inspecting.

Electrical Equipment Testing

PAT is carried out on appliances fitted with a plug, this includes all electrical equipment / appliances in use.

You are legally required to maintain all electrical equipment to ensure it is always safe to use; this should be done by a competent person and records should be kept.

Our comprehensive, all inclusive service provides you with everything you need to ensure compliance with HSE, insurance, regulatory bodies, etc.

Fixed Electrical Inspections

All types of electrical installation need regular inspections including mains wiring, emergency lighting and fire alarms, etc.

By working alongside the North East’s best accredited and trusted electrical and safety inspectors we can manage all areas of electrical safety for you.

Electrical inspections, periodic testing and proficient record keeping is required by law, health and safety, insurance, landlords, regulatory bodies, etc.

Specialist providers of Fixed Appliance Testing services

Providing a Fixed Appliance Testing service for North East businesses, to help you maintain compliance through safe electrical equipment.

Fixed Appliances are those that have had the plug removed, and been hard wired to the mains. For years these have been missed by electricians and PAT testers alike, each believing the other should be doing the test. Now to bring fixed appliances inline with EICRs and PATs we are able to offer this service to our clients.

Fixed Appliances need regular checks just like their plug counterparts, but as they are usually secured to the building there is less risk associated so usually only need an inspection every 5 years, although there are exceptions.

For as long as anyone can remember electrical equipment fitted with a plug has been PAT tested, and mains wiring has had periodic checks, and specialist equipment such as air conditioning, escalators etc have been maintained by a specialist company but other electrical equipment that was bought with a plug on then hard wired to the mains has not been checked by anyone.

The PAT tester didn’t check it because he’s not qualified to work on the mains, and can’t test it without unwiring it, and the electrician doesn’t test it because appliances are not part of the periodic test (EICR).

So they never got checked, which is wrong, especially as they’re often a cause of electrical fires.

So in 2012 guidance was updated to include these appliances in In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (ISITEE), to make sure they got checked by someone. This started arguments between electricians and PAT testers about who was going to do it, and it’s taken until the 2020’s for an answer to be confirmed – fixed appliances must be tested by someone competent to do so. No help whatsoever!

From your point of view, you need to get either your PAT tester or your electrician to perform periodic inspections of the fixed equipment; a full test when the appliance is unwired to make sure it is still ok should be performed at least inline with the EICR, so is best done by the electrician, whilst a visual inspection and earth continuity test can be done when the PAT is carried out. The PAT tester can do his bit without unwiring the item, so as not to potentially cause issues by wiring it back up incorrectly, and to minimise disruption to you, because to unwire it means the power has to be turned off.

There are rare cases of PAT testers being trained to work on mains power, and able to isolate the appliance in order to test it in full, and of electricians prepared to PAT test, but these are very rare. Luckily for you, you have found one of those rare cases. We can do a full inspection and test.

What is Fixed Appliance Testing?

Fixed appliances are hard wired to the socket circuit of the mains, usually via a fused spur unit. To be tested they need to be unwired from the mains, so the mains power needs isolating (turning off), to make it safe to work on. Then the appliance wiring is unwired from the spur, and a circuit created to test the appliance in the same way we would run an PAT test on an appliance fitted with a plug. This tests for earth continuity and insulation resistance and is the required full test.

This invariably needs doing out of hours, because you can’t use the sockets whilst they have no power, and is quite a costly service (day rates). It doesn’t need doing very often, because once we have established the wiring is correct, assuming nobody incompetent doesn’t access it, that is not going to change, and should be ok for another 3-5 years.

Because of issues like turning off the power, and unwiring it, it is best to get this done when an electrician inspects all your mains wiring when performing an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR); which we can do for you.

Fused spur for fixed appliance testing

There is an easier option that doesn’t involve turning off the power and will cover you although not indefinitely and that is what the PAT tester can do whilst doing other equipment.

Without accessing the innards of the spur we can run a test between the spur faceplate screw and the appliance ‘earth’ connection, which checks for earth continuity, which is making sure earth protection is present. We’ll also visually inspect the visual components of the appliance at the same time. This can be done at the time of the PAT test, for the same price as the PAT Test, so no higher prices.

If you have fixed appliances in your workplace, such as hairdryers in hotels, toilet air hand driers, water boilers, etc. then you need to make sure you are getting these checked regularly. When we do your PAT tests we automatically check appliances that would have been supplied with a plug, that have been hard wired, and appliances that have been integrated so the plug is no longer accessible.

What appliances need fixed appliance testing?

Fixed appliance testing refers to any electrical appliance fitted to the mains directly, via a fused spur unit. As PAT Testers we will check all appliances that would be supplied with a plug and flex.

Appliances we check include (but not limited to):

  • Fitted hair driers in hotels
  • Towel rails
  • Hand driers in toilets
  • Water boilers in kitchens
  • Appliances that are integrated so the plug is not accessible

Some fixed equipment should only be checked by specialist engineers, such as escalators, lifts, air conditioning units, etc.

integrated fridge freezer will need fixed appliance testing

Why do you need Fixed Appliances Testing?

Whilst you don’t need to get appliance testing done by law, you are legally required to ensure your electrical equipment is safe to continue being used; and the only recognised way of doing this is to get it PAT tested.

The test will check your appliance is safe – any faults will be repaired; if it can’t be repaired it’ll fail and recommendations will be made for what to do next.

The PAT Testing Certificate Report you are provided with details the tests carried out and results obtained – you need that if there is ever an accident or fire. You’ll also need it if you get a visit from the fire officer or a risk assessor. You need it if you get inspected by a governing body such as the CQC or Ofsted, for example.

You must ensure all electrical equipment is safe, including appliances with a plug, and those that have been ‘hard wired’; although the rules are different. We’ll guide you if it applies.

You are responsible for ensuring electrical equipment you use at work or in another workplace is safe – so get it checked – Protect yourself.

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