Christmas is now behind us and the ‘new year, new me’ is in full swing. But what about our new things? How many of us got the latest gadgets and new electrical appliances over Christmas? Or a technology update? Perhaps your office has had a refurb over the festive period complete with shiny fresh equipment (typically new PCs)?

What should a client do if they update their appliances?

A client has recently purchased several items between their scheduled PAT testing visits… Do they need to get these items tested?

It is time consuming for the client and they don’t want to have to call someone in before they can use a newly purchased item. Imagine having to wait for a PAT test before being able to get your hands on your sparkly new laptop!

This being said, there is no specific requirement to carry out PAT testing before an updated item goes into service. The Electricity at Work Regulations requires that, instead, reasonably practicable steps are taken to prevent danger.

Tip: if the item has a CE mark from the manufacturer, it indicates that it complies with all relevant EU Directives which include electrical safety.

So, if your recent items are CE marked and you can satisfy yourself that it has not been damaged in transit/insulation then there should be no reason why it would not be electrically safe. We recommend always carrying out a visual inspection of any new items before use just in case.