PAT testing or Portable Appliance Testing is something that should be done in any company or institution which uses electrical equipment
. It is important that companies implement PAT testing since this is one of the best ways to check if all portable electrical equipment are safe to use and that no employee will be harmed. PAT testing is not only required to be done in business establishments but also in residential and commercial areas, wherein human beings are in daily contact with electrical equipment and to make sure that there is no danger threat posed by using portable appliances.
Choosing your PAT Testers
Buying a PAT testing device will depend on how often you are going to use it, and the number of electrical equipment that needs to be tested. For bigger companies who will be PAT testing hundreds of electrical equipment, quality of the tester should always be the deciding factor. However, for those who will be testing only a few gadgets, avoid from spending too much money when choosing a PAT Tester since you will only be using it a few times. Budget and quality should always go hand in hand when picking a PAT tester. One of the most important appliances in a home or any establishment that needs to be tested are fire alarms. Testers will help check if the portable gadget is working and if it responds to fire or heat. The most basic testers will only provide you with a PASS or FAIL answer; others will even provide you a report of the PAT testing. Choose a PAT tester that you think is easy to use and will not confuse you; choose one which is comfortable to use.
Frequency of PAT Testing
How often should you use your testers? PAT Testing is only needed to be done before a gadget will be used, and should have a regular PAT Testing at least once a year to check if the equipments are still safe to use. Having PAT tests more often wont be a problem, its okay to test an it more than once than not testing it at all.
Who are allowed to do PAT testing
Anyone who has the right knowledge of electrical or mechanical equipment and has full understanding of a PAT Tester is allowed to test electrical equipment. These individuals should understand and know whenever an equipment is safe or hazardous to use. For example, fire alarms which have not been tested properly may have a delay in responding to a fire or heat or may not even work at all.