PAT Testing

[thomo27]

Evening All

I would be grateful for some feedback from people who have completed the C&G PAT Testing course , did you do x amount of weeks at college or did you attend a 1 day course ?

Also how did you find the course ?

Cheers

Ste

 

[kirkgas]

where i used to work we sent a few storemen and labourers on a one day in-house course where they were trained and certified to do PAT testing, using quite expensive self diagnostic equipment but even buying the expensive kit was seen as a much cheaper option than having sparks doing it, this was all passed by the H&S guys and would have been thouroughly looked at or they wouldn't have done it, so if the labourers done it in one day there cant be too much in it.

 

[ericmark]

I did the evening course 3 hours for 6 weeks this was part of three courses which ran consecutively the other two being 16th Edition and 2391 inspection and testing. (Since taken 2382 as 2381 was valid at the time.)

The course taught me very little but allowed me to prove I knew how to test in service electrical equipment.

Most of what I have learn has been from doing the job and making mistakes, and solving problems.

I personally feel if the first test is completed by an Electrician and he selects what tests are required then a semi-skilled person should be able to repeat these tests are regular intervals.

However for the first test it is not so easy. For example I found a mag mount drill had been tested as a class II item because the drill was class II but the magnet base was class I and this had been missed.

I have also found weighing machines which failed and I was 99% that there was some EMC filter which was causing the problem. However there was nothing in the supplied paper work to show this may be the case. I had to decide if I should open it up and look at it, send it back to supplier, or pass it anyway. It was sent back to supplier who had the filters removed. But I think it is unfair to expect a semi-skilled guy to sort out these types of problems.

In the main the longer ones training is spread the better.
1) As more likely to remember what has been said.
2) As it give one time to think about what has been said and ask questions as a result.

But really 18 hours is more than required if you add time in exam then 20 hours or 2½ days and much of the time is spent testing different items to get the feel of using the machine and I had used many machines by time I did the course so not really any help.

Little things like it being confirmed that flash testing is only required on refurbished equipment did help but it’s all in the book anyway.

The course was designed for non electricians only the C&G 2391 really needed some prior knowledge.