PAT Myth

[russdev]

Just seen this...

 

http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/july.pdf

 

But do note that most LAs say that you have to have a PAT test.

 

Russ

[john]

Hoorah! Thanks for this Last time i checked our LEA were not that strict on them but said something along the lines of HSE say they must, but this is perfect

[Andrew_C]

Don't ignore the fact that this relates specifically to "Office Equipment"; this would normally be used by responsible adults. In a school, the equipment is likely to be used by kids who might not have due regard for the condition of the equipment, and are much more likely to abuse it. There are also teachers involved!

 

That said, I'm looking at reducing the frequency of inspection/test though my department (Physics). Some of the older/more hazardous kit will stay at a year or maybe even 6 months. Things like the floor polishers fall into this category. And yes, it does seem like they are my responsibility!

[john]

Things like Desktop PCs that are not moved, TFT Monitors that are bolted to the walls and desks I was thinking more should be every 2 years really not yearly, some LEAs use it to make money I think really, The should be visually inspected by a compitant person, a teacher could do that or any adult, if its got a crack in it or bits missing, holes etc it needs looking at but if it looks good and its fairly "fixed" it should be fine every 2 years.

[Andrew_C]

TFT Monitors that are bolted to the walls and desks I was thinking more should be every 2 years really

If the monitors are double insulated, the IEE CoP indicates that 4 years would be acceptable, and that would be a formal inspection rather than "inspection and test". (From memory, I don't have my copy to hand to check)

 

The important thing is to do a RA; if you find that there is lots of damaged kit when you do inspect, then you should increase the frequency of testing. If you never find damage/deterioration, then stretch the frequency. To do this however, you need good quality data. Using a tester with downloadable results can help to gather this data. The upfront costs can be recovered by a reduction in the frequency of testing.

 

It may be that with a fixed replacement cycle, you would only need to test some equipment on purchace as it could be scrapped before a re-test is needed.