Tip 1 - Reducing Costs
Implement a simple disposal policy of your redundant electrical goods throughout your site as a reputable PAT company will want to ensure the safety of all of your useable equipment across your site. By appropriately disposing of items you no longer use, you not only free up valuable storage space but you also reduce the total number of items tested for safety which reduces your bill significantly! If you have equipment which is out of service and awaiting disposal, why not print “Do not use” stickers and affix to the appliances? This ensures that you are conforming to your obligations to electrical safety.
Tip 2 - The Testing of New Items
Brand new items are generally classed as safe for the first year of use in a normal working environment, provided they have been installed by reputable engineers and they have not been damaged in any way.
DBA Testing does not test appliances below 12 months old, many other companies also follow this, but if items are not clearly marked for the on-site engineer, it is possible that relatively new equipment may be tested. Therefore, liaise with your testing engineer and ensure that new equipment is clearly labelled as this will reduce your total bill. Please note, however, that sometimes a new appliance is installed using the old power lead which is not good practice. It is a good idea to ensure that your installers install the new detachable leads when fitting new equipment to avoid potential hazards from cable fatigue. If you are in any doubt about the age of an appliance, we strongly recommend testing.
Tip 3 - The Lowdown on Extra-Low
*Extra Low-voltage items can also be known as class III appliances.
The IEE (Institute of Electrical Engineers) code of practice for Portable Appliance Inspection & Testing states: “Class III equipment is equipment in which protection against electric shock relies on the supply from a separate extra low-voltage source (SELV), such as an isolating transformer to BS EN 61558.”
This basically means that the extra low-voltage item cannot be more dangerous at any time than, for example, your ipod or a child’s battery-powered toy. In effect, the power supply and its high-voltage lead do need to be regularly inspected and tested but the extra low-voltage appliance does not.
DBA Testing strongly advises you to check that extra low-voltage items have NOT been tested unnecessarily by your service provider. Of course, if you want to have all your extra low-voltage equipment formally inspected and catalogued for any visual signs of damage, or to provide a thorough electrical appliance audit/asset register then DBA Testing would be happy to perform this along with your PAT but we won’t do it and charge you without your permission!
Tip 4 - Seeking a Professional PAT Provider
DBA Testing’s engineers are all registered with the recognised electrical body NAPIT (The National Association for Professional Inspectors and Testers). This helps to ensure that the testing engineer will be competent and not fail items unnecessarily; for example, surge-protected extension leads have a surge-protecting electrical component installed which may show up initially during testing as having an intolerable low insulation reading.
Such equipment has special rules for testing and can be perfectly safe and passed by a knowledgeable tester. Computers or other electrical equipment with covers removed (which may be totally safe if no dangerous parts are exposed) may be failed by some other PAT providers, causing you to replace perfectly safe equipment.
Tip 5 - Look Out!
The culture of aggressive marketing and hitting ridiculously high sales targets has no place in DBA Testing. DBA Testing charges per appliance tested not by the hour which means that our customers do not pay more for a comprehensive electrical safety inspection. DBA Testing understands that not all sites and electrical equipment are the same as some sites are faster to test than others. We trust our engineers to take whatever time necessary on site to ensure a thorough, safe and non-intrusive PAT service for our clients. We do not believe in high productivity and profit margins to the detriment of electrical safety – electrical safety is paramount. We provide the highest standards of inspection, customer service and recording and reporting at a very competitive price.
Tip 6 - HSE and Insurance
Ensure that your site is electrically safe in accordance with the HSE otherwise your insurance may be invalid leading to potential reduced payouts. It is the client’s responsibility, in the main, to ensure that all useable appliances are accessible to the PAT provider. Some PAT providers may use this to their advantage by encouraging their test engineers to move quickly around the site, testing the easily accessible items and missing the inconspicuous items. In the trade this is known as ‘cherry picking’. If there were to be an accident with an item missed by the PAT provider then the PAT provider can claim that it was not available for the engineer to test at the time of testing. DBA Testing takes great care to minimise this situation by liaising with the client on site and endeavouring to look comprehensively throughout the site for any useable equipment.
Also, do not hide equipment in order to save money as this is a very dangerous practice adopted by people who have little or no regard for health and safety. By hiding items (including personal equipment brought into your site by employees) you greatly increase the risk of having a serious electrical accident on your premises. All high-voltage electrical equipment that is used on the premises should be tested regardless of who owns it.
Tip 7 - Can I get In-House PAT?
Yes, you can get it done in-house but this often causes undue pressure upon personnel. You should ensure that whoever you appoint to carry out the inspections are suitably qualified, competent and diligent to the task. The test machines should be industry standard and be calibrated annually. Formal records of all tests should also be kept. It is strongly advised to obtain an impartial inspection conducted by a reputable company for the purposes of insurance; to enhance electrical safety; and to prevent staff pressure/conflict. When you consider appointing an in-house PAT engineer, please evaluate the costs and safety implications carefully. PAT is a very complex world of ever-changing electrical appliances and environments and an effective PAT company, such as DBA Testing, will seek continuing professional development for its engineers in order to keep engineers abreast of new developments in the PAT industry and will only use engineers with analytic and diagnostic minds in order that they question and find solutions to electrical safety issues.
Tip 8 - What is a good PAT Report?
Some PAT companies use handwritten, paperwork records which, whilst acceptable if done correctly, leave the door open for unscrupulous engineers to “fake” results. DBA Testing uses high-quality test equipment which stores the test results electronically. This helps to validate that the on-site testing was carried out correctly and also allows the accurate results to be sent to you electronically, if you wish, or hard copies can be printed off and sent via post. We also offer an electronic cataloguing service for all your electrical assets which can save your company time and money.
In short, DBA Testing believes in professional, succinct, accessible and effective recording and reporting methods. DBA Testing reports adhere to the following:
A good PAT company can provide to the customer the following:
► asset number
► location of the electrical item
► appliance description
► date of test
► pass or fail (detailed per item)
► a test certificate for insurance purposes
Tip 9 - Danger!
Potential killers are detected by DBA Testing engineers in most workplaces. Shocking, you think? It certainly could be! Over 750 people are injured every year by electricity according to government statistics. Of course, these potentially lethal faults are likely to remain undetected if you choose to use a less meticulous PAT service provider.
Tip 10 - Festive Safety Tips
DBA Testing suggests that when replacing or choosing new festive lights, the safer option is to purchase the low-voltage type as this minimises the risk of shock, should an animal or child chew through the wires.