Portable Appliance Test
2084805
225774509
2008-07-15T10:01:02Z
86.138.60.93
Added City & Guilds 2377 info & external link
{{Unreferenced|date=December 2007}}
A '''Portable Appliance Test''' in the [[United Kingdom]] is a process by which electrical appliances are routinely checked to see whether they are safe.
When people work with electrical appliances, [[health and safety]] regulations say that the appliance must be proven to be safe. Testing should be carried out at regular intervals to ensure continual safety; the interval between tests depending on both the type of appliance and the environment it is used in.
If this is not done, most insurances would not be valid if an accident was caused by an untested appliance.
Many people will have seen evidence of portable appliance testing in the form of labels stuck to power cables around their offices.
(British) law requires is that the appliances are safe (as far as is reasonably practicable). Guidance from the [[Institution of Electrical Engineers]] (IEE) and the [[Health and Safety Executive]] (HSE) suggest initial intervals for combined inspection and testing that range from three months (for construction equipment) to four years (certain types of appliance in schools, hotels, offices and shops).
Portable Appliance Testing is abbreviated to "PAT". The phrase "PAT Testing" is in fact a [[Tautology (rhetoric)|tautology]], in the same way that some people say "[[Liquid crystal display|LCD]] Display" (see also [[RAS syndrome]]). However, the phrase is commonly used in the industry, even though most people realise it is incorrect. The correct term for the whole process is "In-service Inspection & Testing of Electrical Equipment".
[[City and Guilds of London Institute|City & Guilds]] offer a vocational qualification in this field: 'Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment - Vocational 3 (No. 2377)'.
==See Also==
# [[Test and tagging]]
== External links ==
*[http://www.theiet.org/publishing/books/wir-reg/cop.cfm IET/IEE Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment]
*[http://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/safety.htm HSE Maintaining electrical equipment safety]
*[http://www.cityandguilds.com/cps/rde/xchg/SID-850C2351-18A457AB/cgonline/hs.xsl/1779.html?search_term=2377 City & Guilds 'Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment' qualification]