Portable Appliance Testing

Peterborough PC Support (PCWorkspace) provides computer repair and IT support for home and small business in the greater Peterborough area. Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is a means to ensure that your business meets regulatory safety pre-requisite, ensuring that your venture complies with Electricity at Work Regulations (EaWR) 1989, helping you to maintain a safe environment for staff and clients. Established business clients with two or more units, e.g. a PC and Laptop, qualify for a FREE 100mA, Class I Portable Appliance Test on a serviced unit and cable.

A Portable Appliance Test for a single unit and cable is optionally available for a fee of £3.50 coupled with a service or repair. Otherwise operating at our usual hourly rate, our fees start at £30.00 for the first hour and £2.50 per item (minimum half-hour / 5 items) thereafter.

PCWorkspace only employ or work with engineers who are NICEIC approved or have achieved City & Guilds level 3 Certificate of Competence for the Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment based on the IEE Code of Practice for in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment. Given our particular area of expertise however, we only pitch for IT specifically, e.g. 100mA, Class 1 equipment (3/5 Amp plug (Class 2 optional)).

Equipment Construction and Type

The safety of a Class 1 appliance is reliant upon a connection with the earth of the electrical installation. If the flexible cable is damaged, the connection with earth can be lost. Safety of Class 2 equipment is not dependent upon the fixed electrical installation as it does not require an earth connection for the purpose of appliance safety.

Hand-held, portable or moveable (transportable) equipment (18 kg or less) is more likely to be damaged than a fixed appliance. Class 1 appliances (containing an earth) have an increased risk of danger as the safety of the appliance is reliant upon the continuity of the protective conductor from the plug to the appliance.

Portable information technology (IT) equipment includes electrical business equipment, mains powered telecommunications equipment, essential and peripheral items for general business use, but not excluding, for example:

Hand-held

Portable equipment intended to be held in the hand during normal use:

Mains powered handset.
Soldering iron.

Portable
An appliance of less than 18kg in mass that is intended to be moved whilst in operation or an appliance that can easily be moved from one place to another:

Desk lamp.
Desktop fan.
Desktop PC.
Facsimile.
Kettle.
Laptop.
Mail processing.
Photo-copier.
Printer.
Projector.
Vacuum cleaner.

Moveable (Transportable)

Inlcudes non-fixed equipment of 18kg or less in weight that is designed to be moved from one location to another:

Air conditioning unit.
Electric fire/heater.
Humidifier.
Lighting.
Pedestal fan.

A Portable Appliance Test will include:

Visual Inspection: checked for signs of visible damage such as cracked plugs or split cables.
Earth Continuity: equipment is tested to ensure it has a satisfactory earth connection.
Insulation: equipment is tested to ensure the insulation of the equipment is satisfactory.
Leakage: equipment is tested to ensure that the leakage back to earth is minimal.

Important Literature / Legal Requirement / Regulations

Electricity at Work Regulations (EaWR) 1989 • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 • Health and Safety at Work Act (HASaW) 1974 • Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998 • The Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment • Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

For further information on EaWR: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg231.pdf
The IEE code of practice: Recommended_Test_Intervals.pdf

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