Do you actually need a PAT test?

Despite what many believe, there is no UK law forcing every piece of electrical equipment to undergo an annual "PAT" test.

In fact, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) now calls it "In-service inspection and testing of Electrical Equipment" to emphasise a risk-based approach, not a fixed timetable.

But I'm getting asked for a PAT certificate anyway!

If your customer or employer insists on a test certificate, or you simply want to keep your compliance records in order, patlog.co.uk makes it easy to:

• Log inspection results with all the required fields
• Generate professional PDF certificates with embedded QR codes
• Quickly search, filter, and export records to CSV
• Maintain a digital history that informs your future testing schedule

Why a risk-based approach is better

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) free guidance (HSG107 & INDG236) and the IET’s booklet make it clear that true electrical safety is broader than just one annual test, and that regular electrical testing is often wasted effort, better spent on other things.

The HSE promotes:

• Formal risk assessments where you evaluate the environment, usage, and the equipment’s test history
• Regular user checks that can be as simple as a quick visual inspection (cables, plugs, visible damage)
• Detailed visual inspections by a competent person at a suitable interval
• Selective electrical testing, but only when a risk assessment says it's needed.
• Clear documentation of every check and test to guide future schedules and demonstrate due diligence.

Focusing on a holistic approach rather than a single "tick-box" test delivers better safety with less wasted effort.

patlog.co.uk simply streamlines the scheduled electrical testing part of that process when you really do need it.