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". This change was made because the term "portable" could lead to confusion, as some items that need to be considered are not portable (such as a cooker hood plugged into a wall socket).

A good example of the IET emphasising a risk-based approach is how, since 2012, the Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment has stated that re-testing dates should not be shown on test labels (if they are used), as it is for the duty holder to determine the next inspection or test date based on a risk-assessment. For this reason, we don't show them on publicly-accessible PDF certificates on patlog.co.uk - although you can use them on your own tests.

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

If there are specific legal requirements for testing in your sector, 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 Code of Practice 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.