When I was employed in the facilities subdivision for a regional company, I became aware of the UK Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 which requires that ?every employer shall ensure that work equipment is so constructed or adopted as to be suitable for the purpose for which it is used or provided?.

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1998 states, ?As may be necessary to prevent danger, all systems shall be maintained so as to prevent so far as reasonably practicable, such danger.?

This means that employers (and the self-employed) have a obligation of care to ensure that all electrical work gear is safe, suitable for the purpose and correctly kept in good order. PAT testing (Portable Appliance Testing) is the finest way you can achieve this responsibility.

One of the primary items Fire Officers and Health & Safety Inspectors normally ask to see on any check up visit is PAT paperwork. There are a number of additional reasons why gear should be tested on a regular basis with the priority ones being:

To comply with the Electricity at Work Regulations

To comply with the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations

To minimise the risk of fire and injury brought about by electrical gear (Every year about 1000 accidents at work relating to electric shock or burns are conveyed to the Health and Safety Executive. Around 30 of these are lethal).

To please your Insurance Company

To comply with all Health & Safety requirements and ISO standards

To comply with Quality Assurances

As part of your Fire Risk Assessment compliance
All of the comments prior to this are guidelines that are sensible for any employer to adhere to, as litigation consultants form more a part of business life. It took a couple of days for the PAT testing company to work through all of the laptops, Printers, Faxes and Photocopiers and this was in a firm of 500 people.

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