Electrical Safety – What does the law require?

HOWEVER THE LAW DOES NOT SPECIFY WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, BY WHOM OR HOW FREQUENTLY.
(For anyone who doubts the accuracy of the above statement, or if a salesman queries it, we can tell you that it is in fact a direct quote from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) guide.
The regulations governing electrical safety are contained in the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. They state principles of electrical safety and apply to all electrical systems and equipment. The main requirement of the regulation can be summed up thus: All installations and equipment (including portable equipment) should be maintained to prevent danger as far as reasonably practical.
Electrical work must be carried out by a competent person with the necessary knowledge and experience. Clearly the re-wire of a shop or installation of new machinery etc would usually need a qualified electrician or engineer and this is often demanded by manufacturers and insurance companies in any case. The same would apply for an occasional installation check. However there is no reason why an unqualified, but competent, person cannot be responsible for routine visual checks and maintenance etc.

PORTABLE APPLIANCE TESTING (PAT)
There is no doubt that there has been a huge increase in this “industry” in recent years. Again this has been fuelled by companies using misleading advice and advertising and this has resulted in many businesses paying unnecessarily for over the top maintenance regimes with a plethora of coloured sticky labels everywhere. Again the law does not demand specific obligations on PAT testing but just make a general requirement for maintenance by a competent person. Quoting directly again from HSE guidance: “Not every electrical item needs a portable appliance test (PAT). In some cases, a simple user check and visual inspection is enough, eg checking for loose cables or signs of fire damage and, if possible, checking the plug for internal damage, bare wires and the correct fuse. Other equipment, eg a floor cleaner or kettle, may need a portable appliance test, but not necessarily every year.
There is no legal requirement to label equipment that has been inspected or tested, nor is there a requirement to keep records of these activities.”
A full PAT test (not just a visual inspection) will include meter testing to earthing, insulation and polarity. Again this does not have to be carried out by a qualified electrician although this can often be the most practical and efficient solution.
The testing frequency is basically for you to decide taking into account the complexity and usage of item in question. The usual advice is for between one and five years depending on the risk profile of the equipment in question.
You can buy a PAT test meter now for around £200 but if you go down this route make sure it comes sufficient instruction for you to easily interpret results. For larger plant and machinery I would still recommend that you use your normal engineer to carry out regular maintenance but check that includes electrical safety checks.