PAT Testing Advice, never done it before

[e_g_r]

PAT Training Services are good but they will want to sell you a PAT tester.

PAT testing is a summer job if you've got no new kit or other stuff to do. If you can do it with someone else to releive the bordom.

[gavins38]

And the problem with that is...???

On a serious note...



Yes. And I was taught on my course to take the plug apart to check internally, and when you think about the time scale of that alone, let alone the actual test part it gives you an idea of how long it takes. Sorry!

Oh for the small pleasures of sealed plugs! I've PAT tested 2 schools for every little electrical item possible and each one took me a good week of solid working! Sometimes the cost savings of getting it done 'in-house' is outweighed by the actual amount of time that person loses from their regular work!!!

And I agree with everyone else who's said that PAT testing kills brain cells. They should be a warning label on the box.

[solitaire89]

Right - bone to pick with you lot, cause it's obvious that the SMT here have been reading this forum. having worked so hard to convince them that it/science tech's don't do PAT testing in any other school, and now having a third party in to do the testing, we're due for inspection, and some things have slipped the net. And they've decided to get me to do the backlog in half term. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! It's worse than being on death row - the "anticiation" of such a half term Tell me, do keyboards (of thee music department variety, obviously) have sealed plugs by any miracle?

[mb2k01]

Although I've managed to delegate this to others up to now, I do know that it is a legal requirement for the school to ensure PAT testing is done by a qualified engineer. Anyone without an appropriate qualification (i.e. simply being shown what to do) may do an adequate job, but faces a whole load of hassle and legal issues if anything is ever challenged.

Ensure that they pay for your training/certification. Better still, delegate or refuse! (I agree with others - it's the most repetative boring job in the world. Only worth your while if you get to charge + bank something similar to the private companies!)

[powdarrmonkey]

Right - bone to pick with you lot, cause it's obvious that the SMT here have been reading this forum. having worked so hard to convince them that it/science tech's don't do PAT testing in any other school, and now having a third party in to do the testing, we're due for inspection, and some things have slipped the net. And they've decided to get me to do the backlog in half term. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! It's worse than being on death row - the "anticiation" of such a half term

I never said we did; we have Elecheck come and do them.

Tell me, do keyboards (of thee music department variety, obviously) have sealed plugs by any miracle?

If they are those tiddly Yamaha type ones you'll probably find they are a sealed class II external power supply, in which case you're testing the supply not the keyboard. Although, in the nicest possible way, if you're having to ask you probably shouldn't be doing the tests.

[powdarrmonkey]

Although I've managed to delegate this to others up to now, I do know that it is a legal requirement for the school to ensure PAT testing is done by a qualified engineer.

I repeat: portable appliance testing is not a legal requirement. The requirement is to ensure a safe working environment, how you do that is up to you.


(bugbear alert: 'PAT testing' is like saying 'PIN number', it's a redundant acronym. The testing big is already in it.)

(of course if I was going to be precise, I would say it's a pleonasm.)

[richard_s]

I would rather kiss the boss of RM than ever do PAT testing again

[solitaire89]

If they are those tiddly Yamaha type ones you'll probably find they are a sealed class II external power supply

Sadly the last time I checked the old keyboards (which have now gone), they weren't tiddly ones, and didn't have a nice external supply... hence the question. I may be blonde, but I am capable of carrying out a PAT

[solitaire89]

we have Elecheck come and do them.

What are their prices like?

[mb2k01]

I repeat: portable appliance testing is not a legal requirement. The requirement is to ensure a safe working environment, how you do that is up to you.

While you are technically correct in saying that having a "PAT Test" isn't a legal requirement, what IS a legal requirement is the regular testing of all electronic equipment to ensure that it is safe for use etc. If a company doesn't ensure this then it is in line for fines and liability for claims when issues occur.

When people refer to a PAT test they generally refer to a qualified electrician or specific "PAT tester" coming on site to do the testing for them, in effect taking the liability away from them.
If a company employed a person to do this testing who wasn't appropriately qualified then the liability would still be with them.

[tommej]

If you're being forced into this consider that many external companies will charge per item to PAT test, and you should be paid accordingly!

[e_g_r]

Did you know that before using electrical equipment the user must do a visual check to ensure that it is safe!!!!

You can knit pick over PAT testing. It is a necessery evil that can be carried out by a competant person (i.e. not an electritian but someone who is competent to test electrical equipment - visualy and with a testing device)

[solitaire89]

If you're being forced into this consider that many external companies will charge per item to PAT test, and you should be paid accordingly!

Do you think that'll work?!

[john]

I would rather kiss the boss of RM than ever do PAT testing again

That could be arranged, the CEO of RM came to see Dos_Box at BETT

[powdarrmonkey]

What are their prices like?

99p an item for us.