C&G 2377 Pat Testing

[oldtimer]

Many electricians can't PAT test.

Being a qualified electrician doesn't make you competent to do other things.

I agree with this as I knew the basics on PAT testing and even tried to ignore it because I dont like doing it so when I asked some of my customers the comments were are you a "qualified PAT tester" as PAT companies were brainwashing them with this so I thought well I am spending £500 on getting tooled up so lets go all the way and yes I did a 6 week nightcourse at my nearest technical college and must admit learned a few things both good and bad but at the same time when I emailed customers and said I had added it to my services some came back with the yes but are you qualified well thats now sorted because I have played the PAT companies at their own game.

Just one thing to add although I hate it having PAT has become a good addition to my business

 

[Adam W]

I've met plenty of electricians who can't PAT test properly. They probably could if they did the 2377, and could probably pass that first time with flying colours - it's the same principle as testing an installation, but with fewer tests. It's like my old college tutor used to say: "anything's easy if you know how to do it".

 

[SJD]

i shouldn't imagine there's too many lads out there, who've passed there part 1 and 2, who couldn't pass 2377. does anyone fail it?

When I did the 2377 PAT course a while back, even though the exam was open book, quite a few people did fail, in fact if I recall, the pass rate at the college was only around 70%. And those failing were often those who had been in the industry for some time. So yes, you can fail!

 

[shagbite]

I agree with this as I knew the basics on PAT testing and even tried to ignore it because I dont like doing it so when I asked some of my customers the comments were are you a "qualified PAT tester" as PAT companies were brainwashing them with this so I thought well I am spending £500 on getting tooled up so lets go all the way and yes I did a 6 week nightcourse at my nearest technical college and must admit learned a few things both good and bad but at the same time when I emailed customers and said I had added it to my services some came back with the yes but are you qualified well thats now sorted because I have played the PAT companies at their own game.

Just one thing to add although I hate it having PAT has become a good addition to my business

for me, PAT testing's just another rip off course churned out by city and guilds' jumping on the "health and safety" bandwagon. i'm happy that you're making a quid, old timer, but these companies that spring up out of nowhere, offering to check your fuse and inform you that your coffee cups and plant pots are an immediate threat that require urgent relocation, just seem to be jumping on the same money spinning bandwagon. inspection and testing of an installation is an important job, carried out by professionals. but the office kettle? i'll leave that to the secretary. how did we all survive, before PAT testing?

 

[oldtimer]

I do repairs on rental properties and the letting agent I do work for used a PAT testing company fair doos I thought but then I stood in for a friend with his LA and it turned out to be a nightmare as he was doing it for beer money where I was trying to make a living also some private landlords were calling asking for this and that plus PAT or nothing so I dipped my toe in the water 9 months later the PAT tester has paid for itself all £700 and my mate has chucked it but his LA came back to me 6 months later no explanation but reading between the lines they tried someone else and got a wake up call as I am not VAT registered plus the bigger companies want the work but will put it on the back burner if a bigger job comes in then come back and charge a fortune where I try and do a job within a day and no 20% to add on

 

[ohreally]

does anyone fail it?

When I did 2377, one walked out and didn't return, one failed (spark) and a chap who had been in business for years as a tester failed.


The lecturer informed that a stunned spark (2391 holder) returned to the classroom after taking GOLA and announced he had failed - so yes, it does happen.

 

[Sparky Ninja]

for me, PAT testing's just another rip off course churned out by city and guilds' jumping on the "health and safety" bandwagon. i'm happy that you're making a quid, old timer, but these companies that spring up out of nowhere, offering to check your fuse and inform you that your coffee cups and plant pots are an immediate threat that require urgent relocation, just seem to be jumping on the same money spinning bandwagon. inspection and testing of an installation is an important job, carried out by professionals. but the office kettle? i'll leave that to the secretary. how did we all survive, before PAT testing?

Couldn't disagree more.

Portable appliances are operated by the end user, be them skilled, instructed or 'ordinary persons'. The dangers present, potential risk from environments and sheer common sense of the users all need to be considered and reviewed at a much more regular interval to fixed installations, whether it be every fortnight or couple of years.

Fixed installations are designed and installed and then - in theory - any future adjustments etc are likely to be carried out by someone with a respect for the risks.

City and Guilds are not responsible for the current access to this industry, they just create and wrap courses to satisfy someone else's criteria.

IMO PAT should be restricted to competent persons of electrical bias, but the problem is companies need to be properly trained to operate effective management of their equipment, so that they know what is needed, with regard to competent operatives and the actual frequencies PAT should be carried out. The recent Lofstedt report has instructed this to be out into the new code of practice to attempt to reduce the current 'over compliance' - but I have a feeling this wont improve until employers are required to train their own staff to understand, administer and manage their own equipment.

 

[oldtimer]

I got 90% and passed the guy next to me got 80% and passed but the 3 other guys looked worried and they were the ones that expected to pass but the look on their faces when we walked out the door and the adjudicator handed us our passed forms

 

[the oracle]

The whole crappy thing about PAT testing is that it is perceived by most to be some numpty sat amongst a pile of portable (BS1363 plugtop stuff) and leads, plugging them mindlessly into a PAT tester, pressing a button and then selecting a red or green sticker to decorate it with.

They crash through the items as quick as possible because they are all killing each other on price, and now have to do it for 'thruppence-ha'penny' per item to get the work. Unfortunately, a lot of these guys, when questioned, do not really have any idea of exactly what they are doing, what tests are being performed, and why. What they do is mundane, mindless, boring, and actually incorrect, which is why any fool with the ability to press buttons and write can set themselves up for PAT testing!

This situation is perpetuated by business owners and managers, who while recognising that they have a duty of care to ensure electrical items are safe, are blindfolded to the fact that they actually need to do more than get 'Testman Pat' in with his little machine and reams of stickers.

The Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment is quite clear on what equipment needs to be tested, and how, and it is much, much more than just the portable appliances with BS1363 plugtops! I would recommend doing the three -day course and covering both disciplines, the doing of , and the management of (2377-22 and 2377-32), to get the whole story. Most guys are just scratching the surface and going through the motions at the moment by doing the one-day course.

As an industry, we need to get the right information over to the customer about what they REALLY are REQUIRED to do under the Electricity at Work Regulations 89, PUWER 98, MHSAWR 99, Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regs 94 and others. Given this info, it should lead to more thorough testing regimes, more work for electricians, and an improvement in the daily routine for appliance testers!

Apologies to those who are already doing the job properly, there are a few!

 

[oldtimer]

Tell us something we dont and they dont know will it get sorted na too much to lose for some