Suffolk Pat Testing Legislation News Update

 

Reliable Pat Testing news updates.

Facts and news files about appliance testing and cases where accidents have been caused due to non compliance.

 

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Revised PAT Guidance safety legislation. Our review.

 

At Reliable Pat Testing we always consider changes to try and make the PAT Testing Regulations clearer and more firm on what business need to do a good idea and support more up to date changes as the regulations have always been full of misconceptions and have many grey areas in them.

Poor PAT Testing firms have helped create these over many years of twisting the Reg's to help them win contracts.

The long awaited 4th edition IET Code of Practice is supposed to make the understanding about PAT Testing clearer. We believe they are not any clearer than before and again after only giving general guidance, they still then place all responsibility onto the duty holder. That's fine if you have a good under standing about the Reg's and risk assessments. There is still no information saying you must do this in case A or do it this way if B applies etc.

Only 5 years have elapsed since the last edition and the changes are no clearer than they have ever been. For advice about your electrical testing please do feel free to Contact Us, we can talk you through the best approach to your Risk assessment to ensure you cant be blamed in the case of a fire/ accident.

Seaward Group report the below in their latest news letter.

The renewed emphasis on a risk based approach to workplace electrical safety testing will undoubtedly pose a significant challenge for the PAT sector, says a leading test instrument manufacturer.

However, the Seaward Group also says that recently updated PAT advice creates major new opportunities for those PAT firms able to respond positively to the changes.

Jim Wallace, associate director of Seaward, says: “There is no doubt that the latest guidance on portable appliance testing will require a new approach to be taken by those involved in the industry.

“The clear message is that electrical equipment inspection and testing regimes should be based on a more focused and robust approach to assessing the safety risks posed by appliances.

“Those companies that can respond positively to the change in emphasis now have the opportunity to provide much more added value to their customers.

“This will mean moving away from a simple cost per test-driven service to the provision of more thorough support based on a more professional advisory, testing and record keeping service.

” The recently published fourth edition of the IET Code of Practice emphasises the importance of taking a proportionate response to ensuring that all workplace electrical systems are safe to use.

To do this it says that a structured approach to risk assessment should be adopted for the determination of inspection and testing intervals.

The new guidance has been developed in response to concerns that the implied legal requirement for maintaining the safety of electrical appliances was being applied too broadly, resulting in situations of costly over compliance, particularly in some of the more low risk working environments.

The changes have already led to some in the industry fearing for its future while others remain to be convinced that anything will change.

Jim Wallace says: “There is indisputable evidence that the periodic in-service testing of electrical equipment prevents injuries, saves lives and avoids workplace fires that would otherwise be devastating for those involved. This has not changed.

“In certain situations there has been a problem of an over-zealous approach to testing and over compliance with the regulations. The new emphasis on risk assessment is designed to overcome this, but also reaffirms that duty holders can accept advice from the person doing the inspection and testing.

“This is the opportunity for contractors. The key is having a proper understanding of risk assessment and being able to apply the same principle to other areas of workplace safety.

Reliable Pat Testing carry Nationwide Portable Appliance Testing for every sized business. For PAT Testing nationwide including PAT Testing London, PAT Testing Colchester, PAT Testing Newport, PAT Testing Pontypridd, PAT Testing Westminster, PAT Testing Ipswich, PAT Testing Cheltenham, PAT Testing Bradford, PAT Testing Leeds, and PAT Testing Weston-super-Mare, For Appliance Testing you can trust contact Reliable Pat Testing Nationwide on 08002465686 or if you prefer, use our contact form.