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Did you know
that employers have a legal duty to maintain all electrical equipment
in the workplace safely ?
If this is not
done and recorded properly, you could be prosecuted and invalidate your
insurance. Dont put it off or you could be in for a shock.
The
need for PAT
Testing arose from the amount of accidents at work which
involved portable appliances. Portable appliances are normally classed
as anything with a plug such as a kettle, computer, stereo etc.
Some
common faults found are split or cut insulation, cord grips that arent
fixed correctly, terminal screws that arent tightened properly (they
often work loose through small vibrations over a period of time),
broken or cracked plugs and/or sockets, frayed wires inside the cable
where it enters the appliance, plugs that are overheating or burning
due to poor contact, wires that are fitted in the wrong terminals of
the plug, wrong rating fuses or tin foil used instead of a fuse, inner
insulation that has been knicked when the plug was fitted.
Many
of these faults can be found by carrying out a visual inspection, but
the pat testing machine will also check that appliances with metal
parts are protected by a good earth bond.
They
will also check the insulation has not broken down inside.On leads and
extension leads polarity can also be checked.(The IEE code of practice
states that detachable leads should be tested seperately from the
appliance they are connected to as they could be used with other
appliances.
A
good PAT Tester should be Qualified to City And Guilds level and carry
public liability insurance.
They
should attach labels to each item stating various
information and whether it has passed or failed (items that fail the
tests should be taken out of service until their safety can be
assured)They should also provide a written certificate
showing further details such as the item type, make
and serial no (if any), whether it passed or failed and the location of
the item. Prices are usually in bands depending on how many items you
have to be tested.
Pat Testing Companies
By Region click here to add your company
Copyright GThomas 2007
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