PAT Testing: What equipment to buy?

[Deleted member 18243]

Hi All,

I've been asked by the company I work for to implement PAT testing.

The company is a call-centre / large office type business, and so most of the electrical items are desk PCs, printers, monitors, extension leads, fans etc., etc, plus kettles and microwaves in the kitchens and hand dryers in the toilets.

They have not had PAT testing before, and so will be buying in the necessary equipment.

They have given me the job, rather than get a contractor in, because I am on an evening C&G 2330 electrical course. PAT testing is part of this course so I know about the actual testing and recording, I just need recommendations as to what equipment to buy. They have asked me to find the equipment, and have given me a budget of £500, though I'm sure I can persuade them to go a bit higher.

So, any recommendations please???? I take it that I only really need a PAT testing unit, plus labels, so what's the best I can get for £500?

I don't want one of the fancy units that records the results and prints the labels; I will be setting up my own database on a PC and am happy to write-out labels myself.

The unit will only be used at this company and only at the times when testing is due, i.e. it will not be getting the heavy, day-in, day-out use that an electrical contractor's unit would.

Thanks.

 

[FDJ]

I think that this would fit the bill - bit beyond your £500 budget I'm afraid.

http://www.pat-training.co.uk/seaward_pat1000s_pat_tester.htm

I'm sure you won't need to do the toilet hand driers as these are fixed equipment
Frank

 

[ColJack]

you'll need lables too.. pass AND fail ones..

 

[STI]

Go for the europa plus mentioned on the FDJ link. It can carry out the IT tests and in situ tests if you cant switch a CPU off because of useage.

My only critism of the Europa is its heavy to lug around but other than that its a superb machine. But still over your budget i afraid.

 

[Deleted member 18243]

Thanks FDJ, Coljack and STI, but the Seaward unit is a bit too much for my budget.

What do you think of this one from Martindale, at £415?

http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Fa...ters/EasyPAT-1600-Manual-PAT-tester/77281/kw/

 

[chris765]

because I am on an evening C&G 2330 electrical course

May I ask what year you are in? I am just coming to the end of the 2nd year of level 2. We have been told what PAT testing is, but no more. Would be interested if it's something we should have covered.
Thanks

 

[plugwash]

Essentially that martindale seems to be about the most basic pat tester available. It doesn't have the option to reduce the IR test voltage to 250V. Nor does it have the option to measure earth leakage on a run test (which can be used as a substitute for IR testing and is better for some types of appliances because it allows parts of the appliance to be tested that couldn't be reached in an unpowered test). This means a greater risk of blowing out marginal filter capacitors in electronic equipment (e.g. cheap unbranded PC PSUs) of course some would say it's better to blow them out in testing than have them blown out by a power surge unexpectedly.

 

[JohnD]

you will also need a record-keeping system.

You will need a file of all the items (you know about) on the premises, with a record of when they were last tested, and when they are next due for test. It will be difficult to maintain this if you do not have Asset Number labels on all the items (in some cases serial nos can be used).

You can get a commercial PC package to do it, or you might use an Spreadsheet or table (you will want to sort and print items coming up to retest date) or you can do it on paper in a file. Make sure it is stored securely with a backup.

You can get "permanent" labels made of thin metal with an adhesive backing. Companies like them because you can get them made up to say "Property of (yournamehere) ltd, asset no. ABC1234" They are not expensive, bought in bulk. Companies ought to do periodic asset checks anyway, so they know what they own, and what has been stolen since the last check. If they are efficient they will do this each time they purchase something.

I can't lay my hands on a label supplier name just now.

As the appliances are easy to move around, buy or bring in from home, your company will have to make a rule that all portable appliances must be tested and labelled before use, and users are responsible for verifying that they do not use appliances that are not labelled or are past expiry date. It is useful to have the "pass" labels in different colours each year so this can easily be noticed. Your labels need to be numbered or people will peel them off and stick them on other appliances. The asset number and pass label number need to be cross-referenced in your file with the appliance brief description. You will need permanent marker pens. Stabilo do good ones that work on metal, plastic and glass and are resistant to cleaning or wet..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You can get "permanent" labels made of thin metal with an adhesive backing. Some companied like them because you can get them made up to say "Property of (yournamehere) ltd, asset no. ABC1234" They are not expensive, bought in bulk.

I can't lay my hands on a supplier name just now.

One that I know of: http://www.seton.co.uk/

Your labels need to be numbered or people will peel them off and stick them on other appliances. The asset number and pass label number need to be cross-referenced in your file with the appliance brief description.

You can get asset labels which cannot be removed intact, so can't be swapped around. Those together with PAT labels provide an easy way to check that the PAT label applies to the appliance it is on.

 

[JohnD]

I meant the PAT pass/fail green/red labels with the expiry date need to have numbers as well, not just the permanent asset labels.

They give an instant visual check but people will be tempted to swap those around especially if past expiry date.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What I meant was that if the PAT label has an asset number, transferring them to another appliance is easily detected.

There's another simple solution.

1) Don't let tests expire on company owned equipment.

2) Forbid employees to bring their own equipment to work, making it a disciplinary offence to do so. If they need something then their employer should provide it. If they don't need it then they shouldn't bring it to work.

 

[joinerjohn]

I used to PAT test for the last company I worked for.
Quite honestly, it was a PITA. The workshop testing was straightforward, but the design dept was totally different. 8 computers ranging from basic desktops to top of the range AppleMacs. Just trying to get someone to log off for 10 minutes was like asking them to lend you a thousand pounds.
I even offered to do it on their lunch hour. They had extension cables literally all over the place. They even had extension cables plugged into extension cables, brought stuff in from home.
I reckon you've drawn the short straw there mate.

 

[nozspark]

I've got this one and don't find it too bad, although I don't do much PATing

http://isswww.co.uk/Pat-Testers/Alp...2142-Computerised-PAT-tester/?source=googleps

And it comes within your £500 budget (+VAT)

 

[plugwash]

Looks like it covers all the bases IR at both 250V and 500V, run test with leakage measurement. IEC /extension lead testing etc.

 

[JohnD]

I see that as well as storing its own data, it communicates with a PC.

I can't see the scope of this, but it is going to be important to keep records on the company's database. One of the extra benefits (should be) that you can run and print a monthly schedule of appliances coming up to their re-test date. This will be very useful.