COVER STORY
simple to operate devices that carry out basic electrical safety checks.
Most are equipped with an earth continuity test, insulation resistance test and the ability to check the wiring of detachable mains cords. Battery powered ‘pass/fail’ checkers do not include tests which involve applying mains power to the appliance under test, for example, protective conductor current or touch current.
Results tend to be displayed as an immediate ‘go/no go’ indication or a ‘pass/fail’ warning light, to pre-set thresholds, although measured values are also provided in some models.
Manual PAT testers have little or no internal memory capability for results record keeping and are therefore designed for use by those who may be relatively unskilled in electrical work or for those who have relatively small numbers of appliances to test.
However, to extend the performance of entry level testers, there are specialist mobile PAT Apps available that provide easy access to a host of special test data handling options.
INCREASED TEST CAPABILITY As successive IET Codes of Practice have highlighted the benefits of different types of testing, PAT test manufacturers have responded by including a much broader range of electrical tests.
More sophisticated testers, for example, now include the ability to test three phase equipment, test RCD trip times, provide different options for insulation test voltages, incorporate the testing of fixed appliances and utilise specialist test currents for earth continuity testing.
Advanced instruments also have options for manual or automatic testing and the ability to reconfigure test sequences and pass/fail thresholds to cater for a variety of appliance types.
Importantly, these testers also have large internal memories for the storage of test results, for subsequent downloading to computerised record keeping systems.
With developments such as these, the versatility of modern testing technology is increasingly being used
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as part of more general health and safety inspections and assessments.
As well as comprehensive electrical test functions, the most advanced multi-purpose PAT tester is now equipped with an onboard risk management tool to help determine re- test intervals. This feature is included alongside a built-in digital camera to enable high quality images to be tagged against appliance records for completely traceable electrical safety record keeping and maintenance.
To further extend the versatility and flexibility of testers, alongside specific test functions, a whole host of special features and PAT accessories have also been introduced.
For example, the introduction of barcode labelling of products, with automatic recognition of test specifications and protocols by the test instrument, was an early development and this has been followed by the introduction of Bluetooth connectivity with test accessories such as label printers to speed the test process.
RECORD KEEPING Although there is no requirement in the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 to keep records of equipment and of inspections and tests, the HSE Memorandum of Guidance (HSR25) on these regulations advises that records of maintenance including test results should be kept throughout the working life of equipment. The IET Code of Practice also recommends that test results should be made available to subsequent test operatives.
Alongside this advice, improvements in test management software have allowed records to be updated automatically, test reports and certificates to be produced and advance test schedules to be generated.
Software controlled record systems enable ‘real-time’ records to be maintained, which are easily amended and updated. This enables new equipment to be added and the movement of equipment from one location to another to be tracked.
These advances mean that visual evidence of all workplace health and safety equipment can be recorded and tagged against inspection records. In addition, the built-in risk assessment capability allows the consideration of a variety of different workplace hazards and corrective actions to be planned and documented easily.
In this way, modern testers with electrical safety as their core function also have the ability to create and store health and safety inspections outside of portable appliance testing, including fire safety and emergency lighting systems.
Programs used for asset management purposes in this way can search through records very easily and display the record details significantly faster than making changes to a manual system – with the reduced chances of mistakes being made.
In this way continuous technical innovation has ensured that modern PAT testers continue to meet the needs of everyone who has a responsibility for ensuring the safe use of electrical equipment.
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