PAT testing companies: choosing between pat test companies, a pat test company or a pat testing company, finding a pat tester near me or a pat testing service near me, and answering who can pat test, who does pat testing, do you need to be qualified to pat test, do you have to be qualified to pat test and can i do my own pat testing

How pat testing companies works

1. Understand what competence means here. For most low-risk equipment a sensible visual inspection by a trained member of staff catches the majority of faults. Where a combined inspection and test is needed, the person doing it needs the knowledge to use the instrument and to judge the reading, not a particular certificate.
2. Ask who attends and what they carry. The name of the person, their training, and whether the instrument is calibrated and when it was last done. An uncalibrated tester produces numbers nobody can rely on, and the calibration date is a fair question to ask before booking.
3. Compare what is recorded, not just what is tested. A good company leaves an asset register with each item identified, its result, the date and the person who tested it. That register is what you show an insurer, and it is what makes the next visit quicker and cheaper.
4. Watch for the annual myth in the sales pitch. A company that opens by telling you the law requires annual testing of everything is selling from a script rather than assessing your risk. HSE says plainly that this is a myth, and a firm that repeats it is one to check carefully.

Paperwork and evidence

Common questions

Who can carry out PAT testing?

Any competent person. HSE guidance is that a sensible visual inspection can be done by a trained member of staff, and that a combined inspection and test needs somebody with the knowledge to use the instrument and interpret the result.

Do you need to be qualified to PAT test?

There is no statutory qualification. Competence is what the law requires, and training courses are the usual way of demonstrating it rather than a legal requirement in themselves.

Can I do my own PAT testing?

Yes, if you are competent to do it and your instrument is calibrated. Many businesses do their own visual inspections and buy in the combined inspection and test.

What should a testing company leave behind?

An itemised register with results and dates, labels on the equipment where appropriate, and a report identifying anything that failed and what was done about it.

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