The great pat testing scam

[PAT Testing]

You clearly had a bad experience with this pat tester, not all pat testing companies are the same, message from PAT Testing | PAT Testing in London | Cheap PAT Testing Prices | PAT testing Prices

 

[telectrix]

I do some PAT testing , not a lot, and try to do it right. One day I timed myself for 1 hour, proper test, fill in label, enter details on report sheet. I did 12 appliances. Based on a sensible hourly rate of £20 - £25, that equates at £2 per item approx. Anyone doing it at for 50p to 70p per item is either not doing it properly or has a very cheap lifestyle.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

I agree telectrix......the above link looks very professional....but IMO it is not possible to charge 70p an appliance,do a thorough job, and earn a living.

 

[RexT]

Hi wirepuller,

You are quite right about your comment. Its right to do a thorugh job and earn a living. When it goes wrong is where people find out the fasct that has been no savings doing it 'on the cheap and missing out some bits'.
As I said I hope we keep the job right and keep the trade.
Best wishes
Rex

 

[PAT ukLtd]

I work as a mobile Dj and before looking into PAT Testing the guy I used had one of these 'Supermarket Type' guns to provide the stickers, however it only had on it the date of the test and an item id number, no initials or any other info, i'm sure this wouldn't meet the legal requirements. To his credit he did actually test each bit of my equipment,and failed a couple of extension leads and changed some fuses, but maybe it was because I was standing in the same room making him a cuppa. Anyway only probably took 90 mins for I think was £90-£95. He was telling me about a large job he had been on in Bolton for several days and I wonder out of sight if he would just label equipment without testing......what I want to know is how do these Label only cowboys get on when it comes to producing the paperwork. My test sheets all show the readings of each test result.....so do they make them up?

 

[i=p/u]

good testers are quick to record results and print at end of day , but tottaly agree they dont give too hoots just want there 70p per item,, as ur man above said £50 quid a day does them

 

[millwall ken]

Love it, you're in the wrong job mate.

 

[i=p/u]

£2 per item bendoverken

 

[millwall ken]

£2 per item bendoverken

Sorry cupcake, I'm married.

 

[Graeme Harrold]

Its another poorly written regulation within the industry. There is no need to have PAT testing done if your company policy is written to exclude it, e.g. "We replace computers every 3 years......." There is only advised guidelines and a code of conduct for everything, and the only people who impose strict testing schedules are the smart companies who do care about their employees, or insurance companies. Again there is no need for labeling, its only a way to track tested items. Ive had customers request no labeling, I just provide a department/room schedule of tested items.

I dont go below about £1.50 per item, unless there is a load of class 2 items which can be churned out quite rapidly. All items laid out, a class 1 will take just over 3 minutes, inc plug top off, check terminals and then run the rapdi test sequence on the Fluke 6500, test running, lable being written.........

Starting a caravan park next week with the first batch of 156 units containing 6 items, 3 class1 and 3 class 2. Flat rate of £10 per unit and will be done in 6 days. Boring, YES, but an easy start to the year, then another 193 before Easter!!!

 

[Dec]

Starting a caravan park next week with the first batch of 156 units containing 6 items, 3 class1 and 3 class 2. Flat rate of £10 per unit and will be done in 6 days. Boring, YES, but an easy start to the year, then another 193 before Easter!!!

Happy days Graeme, i think i can get bored one week a month for that..... pity there are not an abundance of caravan parks near me :-(

 

[Duntestin]

I've read this forum for some time and on reading this thread felt the need to contribute!

I've worked in testing companies in various roles from tester to manager over the past 16 years. Only three employers in this time and all of them turning over in excess of £3M per year from testing income, so I think I am safe to call them amongst the testing 'big boys'.

Overall, what I can say is that the companies I worked for did not promote the cutting of corners to achieve high test volumes nor would it be tolerated. I've always believed and worked to the ideal that every man gets paid for the work he does and each person gets the same pay for the same work - whether hourly paid or unit paid, a cheat is stealing from his colleagues and putting their jobs at risk.

Anyway, my main point I wish to make is on the root cause of the advent of cheap testing and high test volumes. Indeed there was one single event which caused PAT test quantities to more than double overnight and I lay the blame for this squarely on the IEE.

To explain, with the advent of the 17th Ed regs as we all know, the standard for circuit protection was to install RCD. In line with this, the CoP for PAT was changed to allow the earth continuity testing to be conducted at a lower test current simply ensuring that the earth circuit of the appliance under test would withstand fault current to allow the circuit protecting RCD to come into play.

So with this revelation, the need for earth test currents of 1.5 times fuse rating were not required as neither was a 5 second test duration for the test. (FYI this test criteria was based upon the spec for a BS1363 fuse, check the graphs!). Net effect was that test sequence was drastically shortened and PAT test kits no longer needed to be mains powered.

So where's the catch you wonder? Simple. Not all circuits are protected by RCD are they!
Point is, where a cheap test company submits a price, they invariably do so on basis of using a battery-powered test kit. But unless EVERY mains circuit is protected by an RCD, they are not sufficiently testing the ability of the earth conductor of an appliance to ensure it can withstand fault current to allow the plug fuse to blow. In an extreme situation, a dead short to casing could occur on an item, earth conductor burns out before fuse blows leaving appliance sat 'live' waiting for a victim!

For me, this is the PAT testing 'scam' and it undermines the whole idea of doing the job in the first place!

 

[Patman]

To explain, with the advent of the 17th Ed regs as we all know, the standard for circuit protection was to install RCD. In line with this, the CoP for PAT was changed to allow the earth continuity testing to be conducted at a lower test current simply ensuring that the earth circuit of the appliance under test would withstand fault current to allow the circuit protecting RCD to come into play.

This is particularly confusing as the C o P dosn't actually lower the the test current globally but gives the option of a "Hard" or "Soft" earth bond test - 25A & 100mA respectivly. But any guidance on what equipment is not given.

However its generally recognised that IT equipment should be given the "Soft" test and all other equipment the "Hard" test. Hence the importance of a tester capable of conducting these two forms of test and thus providing "meaningful" test results.

 

[Duntestin]

This is particularly confusing as the C o P dosn't actually lower the the test current globally but gives the option of a "Hard" or "Soft" earth bond test - 25A & 100mA respectivly. But any guidance on what equipment is not given.

However its generally recognised that IT equipment should be given the "Soft" test and all other equipment the "Hard" test. Hence the importance of a tester capable of conducting these two forms of test and thus providing "meaningful" test results.

Havent got CoP to hand, but no mention of 25A test anymore!
Not sure of edition, but has a purple/lilac cover!

 

[Adam W]

"... not less than 1.5 times the rating of the fuse up to a maximum of the order of 26A for a period of between 5s and 20s..." p73