Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) Safety Standard

Scope

This Standard applies to all electrical equipment used by employees, students and visitors at UCL. It outlines the actions that managers and staff must take to prevent, as far as is reasonably practicable, injuries or damage to property, caused by poorly maintained portable electrical appliances. It defines the roles and responsibilities of users and contractors and provides guidance on conducting inspections and ‘quarantining’ faulty or dangerous equipment.

This Standard establishes guidelines for maintaining portable electrical appliances in a safe operational condition. The primary objective is to minimise the likelihood of injuries and property damage caused by malfunctioning electrical appliances.

> Read more about Electrical Safety

Legal requirements

• The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (EAW), Regulation 4(2)
• Provision and Use of Work Appliance Regulations (PUWER) 1998

Electrical equipment definition

As defined in the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Regulation 2(1), “electrical equipment” refers to any apparatus “used, intended to be used or installed for use, to generate, provide, transmit, transform, rectify, convert, conduct, distribute, control, store, measure or use electrical energy”. 

Portable electrical appliances typically have a power cable, lead or cord and 13A plug, allowing them to be easily moved from one location to another. This also includes larger appliances that can be relocated but which are generally stationary in a fixed position, such as photocopiers, refrigerators, and larger items of scientific equipment.

Categories and classes of portable electrical appliances

Categories and classes assist in determining the frequency of in-service inspection and tests, as well as the likelihood of damage occurring. Handheld appliances should undergo more frequent inspections compared to fixed appliances. 

Before being connected to UCL’s electrical network, equipment constructed for research purposes must undergo a prior assessment to ensure that it will not pose any electrical hazards or interfere with UCL’s electrical infrastructure use. 

Categories

Portable electrical appliances are categorised into: 

• Handheld.
• Mobile.
• Stationary.
• Information Technology (IT) appliance.
• Constructed for research purposes.

Classes

Portable electrical appliances are classified into:

• Class 1 appliances
  The user is protected by a combination of basic insulation and the provision of an earth connection, thus providing two levels of protection. When PAT Testing Class 1 appliances, Earth Continuity and Insulation Resistance tests are carried out.
• Class 2 appliances
  The user is protected by at least two layers of insulation. For this reason, Class 2 appliances are also known as Double Insulated. They do not require an earth connection. When PAT Testing Class 2 appliances, only the Insulation Resistance test is carried out. These types of appliances are marked with a double box symbol on the rating plate. 

Portable electrical appliances

Portable electrical appliances must be purchased in compliance with applicable UK safety regulations and used for the purpose intended by the manufacturer or designer.

Staff and student owned appliances, if used for work, must conform to applicable UK regulations, must be safe in use and must be inspected and tested as per this Standard.

Staff or student-owned appliances that do not meet UK regulations or which appear to be unsafe must not be used and removed from site. 

Equipment constructed for research purposes must be assessed via a Safety Case and consulted prior to powering with the Estates representative (Assistant Director for Engineering and Infrastructure). 

Responsibilities

Heads of Department

Heads of Department must ensure that:

• Arrangements are in place for the regular inspection and testing of portable electrical appliances within their areas of control.
• A safety case study is completed for portable electrical equipment constructed for research purposes.
• There is an up-to-date asset register and quarantine procedure in place.
• There is an approval method for secondhand portable electrical appliances. 

Line managers

Line managers must ensure that:

• A departmental point of contact for electrical queries is nominated.
• A UCL Service manager is responsible for overseeing the mailbox.

Staff and users

Staff and users must:

• Ensure that they use portable electrical appliances as instructed.
• Before each use, conduct a thorough visual inspection of the portable electrical appliance to identify any obvious signs of damage or defects.
• Verify that the portable electrical appliance has a valid inspection/test label indicating that it has passed. 
• Immediately report any defective or out-of-date tested appliances to their line manager and follow the department’s quarantine procedure.
• Follow the department’s quarantine procedure whenever any issues are identified with a portable electrical appliance.
• When introducing secondhand portable electrical appliances, follow the department’s approval process.

Appointed Person – PAT Testing

The Appointed Person will act as the main point of contact between the department and the specialist contractor before and during the PAT process. The Appointed Person should liaise with relevant departmental staff to facilitate access to electrical equipment. This will ensure successful operation and safety when contractors are on-site, including record-keeping and filing. 

> Read the role description for the Appointed Person - PAT Testing

Contractors

Contractors must:

• Familiarise themselves with items that are exempt from testing or switching off.
• Be aware of areas where escort or supervision is required.
  • This applies particularly to Biological Service Units and Containment Level 3 laboratories where specialised access procedures or supervision may be necessary.
• Update the asset register accurately based on testing results. 
• Immediately withdraw from service and report any defects identified during inspection or testing. 

Common electrical-related hazards

Portable electrical appliances can pose significant hazards to those using them if they are not properly maintained or used. Electrical hazards such as electric shock, burns, fires, or explosions can arise from damaged or malfunctioning portable electrical appliances.

Electrical safety precautions

Visual inspection by user

Before switching on electrical appliances or equipment, a visual inspection must be conducted by user to check that:

• There are no signs of damage to the appliance or the associated cable. 
• The cable has not been exposed to mechanical damage. 
• A valid PAT testing sticker is attached to the appliance.

If the visual inspection is unsatisfactory, do not operate the appliance. Immediately follow departmental procedures to quarantine the appliance and prevent further use.

During operation, closely monitor the electrical appliance for any signs of trouble, such as smoke, a burning odour, unusual noises, excessive or abnormal heat, or vibrations. If you notice any of these issues, immediately follow departmental procedures to quarantine the equipment and prevent further use.

> Read our guidance on conducting a visual inspection

Competent person inspection

Departments can arrange portable electrical appliance inspections and testing through two methods:

Department in-house

Departments can train staff members to conduct in-house portable electrical appliance inspections, testing, labelling, and record keeping. This approach requires that departments invest in appropriate testing equipment and ensuring annual calibration of the equipment. Calibration certificates must be available upon request.

The person undertaking the testing work needs to be competent to do it. In many low-risk environments, a sensible (competent) member of staff can undertake visual inspections if they have the knowledge and training. However, when undertaking combined inspection and testing, a greater level of knowledge and experience is needed, and the person will need:

• The right equipment to do the tests.
• The ability to use the test equipment properly.
• The ability to properly understand the test results.

For further information regarding training, contact your Lead Safety Advisor. 

Estates appointed contractor

Departments can engage the Estates Division's appointed contractor to perform portable electrical appliance inspections and testing. This option involves providing the contractor with an asset list of equipment to be tested, including specific instructions for equipment that cannot be switched off. Additionally, departments should designate a point of contact to review and oversee the testing results.

> Read our guidance on using the Estates appointed contractor

Costs

Departments are responsible for external training costs and testing equipment including ongoing calibration and maintenance or, if the appointed contractor is used, the external contractor costs.

Quarantine of equipment

Departments must have a process in place to prevent the use of faulty or damaged equipment. 

Where formal inspection and/or testing is required and the Department chooses to engage a contractor, the Estates approved contractor must be used. The same contractor must be used for any re-inspections following repairs of failed items.

> Read our guidance on the quarantine process

Frequency of inspection and testing

The frequency of inspection and testing must be determined by risk assessment carried out by a competent person. 

> Maintaining portable electrical equipment (HSE)

New and second-hand portable electrical appliances

While no formal inspection or testing is required prior to initial use, user checks must be conducted before each use of an electrical appliance. These checks should involve inspecting the appliance for any visible damage, wear, or signs of improper usage.

All portable electrical appliances must undergo inspection and testing once they have been installed for 12 months or at a frequency determined by a risk assessment. 

Before using an unfamiliar electrical appliance for the first time, it is crucial to read and understand the manufacturer’s instructions. 

The introduction of secondhand portable electrical appliances requires approval from the Head of Department. Additionally, these appliances must undergo testing by a competent person to verify their electrical safety. The asset register should be updated upon successful testing to reflect the new appliance and its inspection status.

Personal appliances for work and non-work use

Personal electrical appliances brought into the workplace for use must be approved by the Head of Department. In such cases, the electrical appliances must meet the requirements of this Safety Standard to ensure electrical safety. 

Under no circumstances should electrical appliances deemed unsafe be used on university premises or during university activities. This includes appliances that have failed inspection or testing or exhibit signs of damage or malfunction.

> Read the Fire Safety Note on the fire safety risk associated with Portable Temporary Space Heaters and Electrical Plugs/Sockets/Adaptors

Leased appliances

It is a hirer’s responsibility to ensure that the leased appliance meets requirements of this Standard.

Appliances brought on site for events

It is the event organizer’s responsibility to ensure that portable electrical appliances required for an event meet the requirements of this Safety Standard.

Letting of equipment from another department or university

Borrowed equipment, which refers to equipment permanently connected to the UCL electrical network, must undergo a testing process before being put into operation.

• The Head of Department must approve the introduction of such equipment.
• The borrowed equipment must undergo testing by a competent person.
• Upon successful testing, the Asset Register must be updated to reflect the new borrowed equipment.

Appliances in common areas in multi-occupancy building

Testing of equipment in non-departmental or shared areas will be managed by the Estates appointed contractor but the process remains the same. Queries should be directed to the Area Facility Manager. 

Labelling of portable electrical appliances

Portable electrical appliances that have successfully undergone inspection and/or testing must be clearly labeled to indicate their compliance. 

Items that fail inspection or testing must be clearly labeled to denote that they must not be used until repaired and re-tested. Precautions must be taken to prevent use of the electrical appliance in the interim, such as following the quarantine procedure.  

> Read our guidance on labelling of electrical equipment

Record-keeping requirements for inspection and testing

When inspection and testing are carried out by the Estates appointed contractor, they must provide records of all items examined.

Departments that conduct inspection and testing in-house must maintain records of the following as the minimum requirement: 

• Items that fail inspection and testing, including a description of the item and appliance number (if applicable).
• Details of the fault.
• Name of the inspector/tester.
• Date of inspection/test. 
• The total number of items inspected/tested i.e., compiled as an asset list.

These records must be readily available upon request from Estates or Safety Services. It is important to note that maintaining records should not replace the requirement of labeling appliances with inspection or testing information. Labels serve as a visual indication of the appliance's safety status, while records provide more detailed documentation for tracking and maintenance purposes.

Monitoring and review

Heads of Department are responsible for ensuring compliance with the procedures outlined in this Standard through ongoing monitoring and review of departmental procedures.

This Standard will be monitored via the T100 process.