Portable Appliance Test known colloquially as PAT. It is a periodic routine assessment of portable electrical equipment to ensure they are safe to use. Its goal is to keep people safe from electrical hazards on site or on domestic property.

The current legislation does not define ‘portable appliances’; however, the accepted definition is ‘any device that has a plug attached to it and plugs into a power outlet.’ Every portable item of electrical equipment will be marked ‘passed’ or ‘failed’ upon completion of a PAT test and the results documented.

There are several categories of appliances that ought to be taken into account for PAT testing or, as a minimum, be visually inspected:

– Cables and chargers – Hand Held appliances – Fixed appliances – Stationary appliances – IT appliances – Moveable appliances – Portable appliances – socket banks etc.