When new equipment and appliances come into your organisation, what are the rules with regards to PAT testing? Are you obliged to test these new pieces of equipment? Or do you simply just leave them alone?

“New equipment SHOULD be supplied in a safe condition and not require a formal PAT test. However, a simple visual check is recommended to verify the item is not damaged.”

This of course depends entirely on your discretion. To be fully on the safe side, it is recommended that you do actually PAT test the item, particularly when it comes to items like heaters which could be hazardous.

What counts as ‘new’?

So, what do we mean when we talk about ‘new’ equipment? What counts as a ‘new’ item? New could mean brand new equipment shipped from a manufacturer. But it could also refer to equipment that has been owned by employees being brought into the organisation.

By testing appliances that are new to your organisation it means that they can be added to the register and accounted for when it does come around to the time of inspection, otherwise, you may have no way of knowing which appliances you have.

It is entirely up to you whether you should carry out a PAT test on new equipment or not, but for the time that it takes, it doesn’t make sense not to. Give us a call today to arrange a free consultation.

Your Total Safe engineer will perform a visual inspection of all appliances, and a more in-depth check using specialist PAT Testing equipment. This test includes earth continuity, lead polarity, and insulation resistance checks.