Appliance Testing

PAT Testing London

Q: What happens if an item fails?

It is labelled and taken out of use until repaired or replaced. We will tell you clearly what failed and why.

Portable Appliance Testing, PAT testing, checks that plug-in electrical equipment, kettles, computers, power tools, portable heaters, is safe to use. It’s a different thing to an EICR, which covers a building’s fixed wiring rather than the things plugged into it. First Strike Electrical Ltd carries out PAT testing for businesses, landlords and organisations across London, and as an NICEIC approved contractor since 1999, our testing follows recognised industry guidance rather than a generic tick-box approach.

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NICEIC Approved
Trading Since 1999
Asset Register Kept

The law

Is PAT Testing a Legal Requirement?

Not directly. There’s no law naming “PAT testing” specifically. What does exist is a general duty under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 to maintain electrical equipment in a safe condition, and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974’s broader duty of care. PAT testing is simply the standard, widely recognised way businesses demonstrate they’re meeting that duty, and most insurers, landlords and health and safety inspectors expect to see evidence of a sensible testing regime even without a specific law mandating the exact method.

Frequency

How Often Does Equipment Need Testing?

The current IET Code of Practice moved away from rigid fixed schedules towards a risk-based approach, but it still gives useful starting benchmarks depending on the environment and equipment type. As a general guide:

Construction site tools are typically tested every three months
Industrial portable tools around every six months
Industrial moveable equipment annually
Office IT equipment that stays in one place roughly every four years
Office equipment that moves around more often every two years
Equipment in hotels, schools, or used by the public, or in rented residential properties, generally annually

These are sensible starting points rather than fixed legal deadlines, and we can advise on what makes sense for your specific equipment and environment.

On the day

What Happens During Testing

We visually inspect each item for obvious damage, then carry out the appropriate electrical tests for that class of equipment, checking things like earth continuity and insulation resistance that aren’t visible from the outside. Anything that fails is labelled clearly and taken out of use, and you’ll receive a written record of everything tested, its result, and the recommended date for the next test.

Evidence

Records and Asset Registers

Keeping a proper record isn’t just about the individual test result, it’s about being able to show, as a whole, that your organisation has a sensible, consistent approach to equipment safety over time. We can maintain an asset register for your equipment across repeat visits, so each item’s test history is tracked properly rather than starting from scratch every time, which also makes it easier to spot equipment that’s failing more often than it should and might be worth replacing rather than continuing to repair.

Why us

Why Choose First Strike Electrical

NICEIC approved, so our testing follows properly assessed technical standards, and trading in London since 1999, we’ve tested equipment across offices, retail premises, hospitality venues, and rented residential properties, adjusting frequency and approach sensibly to each, rather than applying one blanket schedule regardless of context.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I legally have to get PAT testing done?

Not by that specific name, but you do have a general duty to keep electrical equipment safe, and PAT testing is the standard way of evidencing that if it’s ever questioned.

How often should my equipment be tested?

It depends on the equipment and environment; construction and industrial settings generally need more frequent testing than a low-risk office, and rented residential properties are commonly tested annually. We can advise on a sensible schedule for your situation.

What happens if an item fails?

It’s labelled and taken out of use until repaired or replaced. We’ll tell you clearly what failed and why.

Can you combine PAT testing with an EICR visit?

Often, yes, particularly for landlords and businesses needing both. See our electrical inspection London page for more on EICRs, or mention it when you book and we’ll see if it’s practical to combine.

Do you keep records across multiple visits, or does each test start from scratch?

We can maintain a proper asset register for your equipment, so test history is tracked consistently over time rather than starting fresh at every visit.

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