History of PAT Testing query

[Montaigne]

Hi,

I'm trying to find out the origin of PAT testing but every time I enter "History of PAT testing" or some such into Google I get lots of companies telling me about reports and asset registers.

Can anyone help me on this?

As I understand it PAT testing is a relatively young industry only having been around for about 20 years or so? Would it have started because of the introduction of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 in the phrase every PAT testing firm seems to quote on their web pages:

"As may be necessary to prevent danger, all systems shall be maintained so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, such danger."

If not where did PAT testing start? I'd appreciate some pointers on this if anyone can help as I want to be able to provide accurate information (unusual I know in the PAT testing industry!).

Thanks in advance,

Monty

 

[RogertheBodger]

Found this for you to look at, surprised me, always thought it was started by a person called Pat.
Do you realize that P.A.T. Testing stands for Portable Appliance Testing Testing, why don't we just call it Patting? …………..



Portable appliance testing and inspection, was however, conducted on a 3 month (high risk) and 6 month (low risk) cycle from the early 1960s onwards; in government departments under the control of the Department of the Environment Property and Services Agency (circa 1970 to 2000) as the DOEPSA was known and prior to that as the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works (MoPBW) until about 1970.
Extensive record keeping was made into log-books and generally the equipment used was an insulation resistance tester, simple hand tools and visual inspection. This testing and inspection was done under a planned maintenance scheme and predated both the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Electricity at Work Act 1990 that are frequently quoted as the reason that PAT inspection is done.
In reality neither act nor their corresponding regulations detail PAT inspection as an obligation, but rather state a requirement of maintenance of safety and evidence of routine maintenance all hand-held, portable and plug-in equipment.
Testing equipment specifically designed for PAT inspections was developed using portable devices, which were based on the testing equipment used by manufacturers to ensure compliance with the British Standard Code of Practice relevant to that type of appliance.
One other check carried out on high risk equipment such as hand held electrical drills issued from a government department stores was an earth test, where 25 A was passed down the earth conductor to substantiate that the earth was a sound and valid connection.

 

[Montaigne]

Wow, that is interesting. Thanks very much for that Roger!

Yeah, I sell PAT Testing and occasionally people pick me up on it and say it is PA Testing but for every one person that picks me up on it 99 people would have no idea if I asked them about PA Testing. They would think I was talking about their public address system

I spot these things all the time now. It's like asking for a LCD display TV.

So, we have the government to blame for kicking off the PAT testing industry?

 

[hermetic]

It was a government job creation scheme. In the days of the "back to work grant" I was looking for a computer engineering course, and PA testing was offered to me at the local jobcentre. They offered overalls, safety boots,a pat tester, and the 2 day training course which turns unemployed numskulls into "skilled technicians". It has no known safety merits, and no one has ever looked to see if it has made any difference to workplace accidents with portable electrical appliances , of which there are actually VERY few caused by faulty electrics. If you look at the RoSPA database most involve burns, scalds trapping and lifting injuries. Apparently it did get a lot of "hard to place" ppl off the dole though. there are many cases of the creation of legislation that requires inspection, and of course inspection requires inspectors. Part P has "created" many middle management jobs in regulatory bodies like niceic napit, elecsa etc Which has of course raised the standard of domestic installations no end hasn't it? Well actually no, it hasn't, but it has provided income for a lot of ppl who specialise in the management of "Trade associations" and now that membership of these organisations is a legal requirement , they are all back on the NGO gravy train, sponsored by the hard working apprentice trained sparky with a van and a box of tools. The whole thing is a crock of sh*t and I am really glad I have never had much to do with the domestic side of Electrical Engineering. Rant over.