Portable Appliance Testing... Frequently Asked Questions

How Long does the Inspection Process take?
It depends on the number of items you have to be inspected. In most cases, the average inspection of about 20 items takes approximately 1.5 hours

Will I Be Able to Understand a PAT Report?
The report is easy to read and covers all the electrical items that were inspected. Inside the report, you’ll find details of each individual item, any visual observations or recommendations identified, and a certificate of compliance for the items inspected. We include photos of any items inspected that have been detected with any potential problem. The reason we include the photos in the report, is so you can present this to your nominated competent electrical contractor or whom ever is required to fix any particular issue that has been identified. They can then go directly to the relevant problem without the need for further investigation, saving them time and you money.

What if the Report Reveals a Problem?
Contained within the report is a pass/fail section to indicate if each item is safe to use. If an item is deemed to fail a portable appliance test we will normally attempt to carry out a repair of the item on-site. If we can’t repair the item we will place a FAILED label on the item & take the item out of action for the safety of those concerned. This will then be highlighted within the report that you will receive after completion of the test process.

For Landlords: How does this affect you ?
You must ensure electrical equipment you provide conforms to the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 and take reasonable steps to ensure ongoing safety.

For Tenants: How does this affect you?
You should confirm with your landlord that any electrical equipment provided by them for your use has a testing and inspection procedure in place. This should be carried out by a Competent Person and records providing documentary evidence of inspection and testing results for each piece of electrical equipment should be maintained.