Common questions about portable appliance testing, the regulations behind it and what you receive from us.
There is no law that names "PAT testing" directly. What the law does require — under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 — is that you keep electrical equipment in a safe condition and can show you maintain it. In-service inspection and testing is the accepted way employers, landlords and duty holders evidence that. If an incident happens, your test records are what you produce.
There is no fixed annual rule. The IET Code of Practice sets intervals by risk: equipment in an office might be inspected every 24–48 months, while handheld tools on a busy site need far more frequent checks. We assess your environment and recommend an interval you can justify, then remind you before it falls due.
In practice, anything that connects to the mains by a plug and flexible cable. That includes kettles, microwaves, computers, monitors, printers, extension leads, chargers, vacuum cleaners, power tools and most commercial kitchen equipment. Extension leads and IEC cables are tested as items in their own right.
As a guide, around 30 appliances takes about 45 minutes and 100 appliances around an hour and a half. We work room by room, power down only what we are testing, and can attend early mornings, evenings or weekends so your trading hours are untouched.
A durable pass label on every item showing its unique ID, test date and next due date; a digital certificate for your compliance file; and a full asset register listing each appliance, its location, class and result. Any failed item is reported with a clear explanation and recommended action.
It is labelled as failed, removed from service and recorded on your report with the reason. Many failures are simple — a damaged flex, a poor plug termination, an incorrect fuse — and can be corrected on the spot. Anything needing replacement is flagged so you can plan it.
We are based in Glasgow and cover Glasgow, Paisley, Falkirk and Lanarkshire (G, PA, FK and ML postcodes). If you are just outside that footprint, get in touch — we will tell you honestly whether we can help.
Our focus is electrical compliance: portable appliance testing, in-service inspection, asset registers, reporting and the remedial advice that follows. That specialism is deliberate — it is why our reports are more useful than a generic contractor's tick sheet.