Portable Appliance Testing, also known as Test and Tag, is one of the many services offered by The Local Guys. But what is Portable Appliance Testing? Why is it an important safety measure for electrical appliances and devices? We’ve created a helpful guide to Portable Appliance Testing to answer frequently asked questions from our customers. If you want to learn absolutely everything you need to know about PAT testing, then keep reading!
What is a Portable Appliance?
As the name suggests, a portable appliance is an electrical device that is easy to move or carry. The Local Guys provide appliance testing and tagging for a variety of different electrical devices.
What Type of Equipment or Appliances Can Be Tested?
Anything that is 240v that plugs into an electrical outlet needs to have Portable Appliance Testing completed.Our portable appliance testers work on earthed appliances and double-insulated appliances. These are also referred to as Class 1 and Class 2 devices, which are the main two categories of appliances that our technicians can assess.
Common items include:
- Electric power tools: angle grinders, belt sanders, drills, and nail guns
- Office kitchen appliances: kettles, toasters and microwave ovens
- Power boards and extension cords
- Laptops and desktop computers (or monitors)
- Printers and photocopiers
- Electric desk fans and heaters
- RCD safety switches
If you want the assurance of safety for your business or workplace, then any and all electrical devices should undergo Portable Appliance Testing. Are you unsure if your items are eligible to be tested? No worries! Contact The Local Guys and we’ll let you know if your electrical device is safe for our pat portable appliance testers.
The Importance of Portable Appliance Testing
Why do portable electrical appliances need to be tested? Portable electrical appliances need to be tested to ensure they are still safe to use. If you want continual safety and protection against electrical hazards, then routine electrical safety tests are a necessity! Electrical faults and defective electrical equipment are some of the top causes of accidents, injuries, and property damage. Do you want to reduce the risk of serious burns, electrocutions, or destructive electrical fires on your property? Routine electrical testing will help identify issues with your electrical appliances before accidents occur.
Is Portable Appliance Testing a Legal Requirement?
Portable appliance testing is a legal requirement for companies in the construction, mining and demolition industry, under the AS/NZS 3760:2022 safety standards. PAT testing is not compulsory for all workplaces or businesses. However, under Australian law and workplace safety regulations, you have a legal responsibility to provide a safe working environment. If you fail to have electrical devices tested, you will be liable for any injuries or damages caused by electrical faults or equipment failure. Appliance test and tagging will help you take reasonable steps to uphold your duty of care. To prove you have undertaken recent Portable Appliance Testing, The Local Guys will issue you with a service report and official certificate of compliance. The certificate is proof of your compliance with workplace safety and electrical standards. Our portable appliance testers will ensure that you can maintain detailed safety compliance records.
How Often Should Portable Appliances be PAT Tested?
The Local Guys follow AS/NZS 3760:2022 testing frequencies. Our test and tag technicians will assess the Portable Appliance Testing frequency you require to stay compliant with Australian workplace safety standards.
Our electrical safety tests are based on these testing intervals:
- 3 months: building, construction and demolition sites
- 6 months: factories, warehouses and production environments
- 12 months: schools and regular office settings
- 5 years: server rooms etc.
3-monthly safety checks: Portable appliance testing services in mining, construction and demolition settings are essential. These are hazardous environments, so regular testing on a 3-monthly basis is the best way to avoid potential safety risks. Handheld equipment like power tools already present a danger to users, and appliance failure could end in disaster. Our portable appliance testers will ensure that appliance safety is never in doubt.
6-monthly portable appliance tests: Electrical equipment used in a factory, warehouse, or production setting will be exposed to many potential hazards. The testing requirements aren’t as strict as construction/demolition, but many industries will have mandatory Portable Appliance Testing. Routine portable appliance maintenance and safety checks will ensure no electrical hazards go unnoticed.
12-monthly testing: Portable equipment and appliances in schools and offices will still experience some use and abuse. An appliance in schools might be used everyday by students and teachers, or left in storage unless needed. If the portable devices are moved often, the appliance cords will flex in normal use or open to abuse and may start to fray or break down. Annual testing for portable appliances will ensure that the flexible cords haven’t split and that your electrical devices are still safe for use.
5-yearly Portable Appliance Testing: Portable appliance testing is less frequent for settings like server rooms. Electrical equipment and devices in these settings aren’t handled or used by people on a regular basis or open to abuse. Even with a large number of electrical items and extension cords (or extension leads) hooked up to servers, Portable Appliance Testing for this electric equipment may not be necessary for several years.
Why Businesses Choose The Local Guys
Technicians from The Local Guys provide test and tag services for a wide range of businesses, workplaces, and other settings in Australia.
Our Test and Tag technicians:
- Are fully-licensed for Test and Tag services
- Offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee: if you’re not happy with our service, we’ll send a technician back to you at no additional cost
- Provide a Complimentary Reminder Service: our team will contact you when your next appliance Test and Tag service is due
- Will issue a Certificate of Compliance
- Are protected by $20,000,000 in Public Liability Insurance
- Have current Police Clearance
- Undergo a Working with Children Check (WWCC)
- Have a First Aid Certificate
- Donate $5 to World Vision Australia for every job
Did you know The Local Guys offer a complimentary reminder service for customers? Trying to keep track of your Portable Appliance Testing intervals can be stressful. If you’re a regular customer with The Local Guys, you won’t need to worry about remembering test and tag timings for the foreseeable future. Our customer service team will get in contact when your next service is due!
The Cost of Portable Appliance Testing
How much does Portable Appliance Testing cost? In the appliance testing industry, the average cost of Portable Appliance Testing is around $2 to $6 per item. The Local Guys only charge $2 to $3.80 per item (+GST) for portable appliance test and tag. Our technicians offer a minimum charge of $99 (+GST) for the first 25 items.
There are 2 main factors that affect the quote for appliance test and tag:
- The distance of the location
- The number of items that need testing
Any special requirements (PPE or safety equipment), access issues, or time constraints could also alter the price of your quote.
Our Test and Tag technicians offer free quotes for clients because we want our clients to be able to make an informed decision about services. If you need to organise Portable Appliance Testing for multiple locations, The Local Guys are happy to help!
4 Stages of PAT Testing
How does PAT testing work? There are 4 key steps to Portable Appliance Testing:
- Visual inspection
- Electrical testing
- Appliance tagging
- Result recording
Visual inspection: The test and tag technician will check your electrical device for any obvious signs of damage. This is a basic safety check to see whether your portable appliance is safe to undergo electrical testing. If your electrical equipment has damaged power cords or other obvious safety issues, then it will fail the initial inspections by staff.
Electrical testing: Our appliance test and tag technicians will use a Portable Appliance Tester (PAT Tester) to conduct electrical tests. The PAT tester will assess the earth continuity, insulation resistance, and lead polarity of each electrical item.
Appliance tagging: The next step of the Portable Appliance Testing procedure is to attach appliance test tags. Any compliance tags from previous tests will be removed, and an updated tag will be affixed to your electrical appliance. Appliance test tags include the date of the last inspection and the next relevant test date.
Result recording: Our technicians will diligently record the results of your appliance test and tag results. Each item will be documented and receive a pass or fail result. If your electrical device successfully passes testing, our technician will mark the appliance safe. Any potential safety issues or failures will be flagged, with additional comments from technicians if necessary. With the complete range of results and your technician’s notes to refer back to, organising replacement or repairs for your portable electrical appliances will be simple.
Colours Used for Appliance Test Tags
What colours are used for appliance test tags? Appliance tags used in the construction, demolition or mining industry must be red, green, blue or yellow. Compliance tags that follow the RGBY system (red, green, blue, yellow) are mandatory in these industries. Technicians use these colourful tags to show which month your portable electrical appliances were tested.
Red Tag: December, January and February
Green Tag: March, April and May
Blue Tag: June, July and August
Yellow Tag: September, October and November
Are you in a different industry or area? No problem! Technicians can label your portable appliances with compliance tags in any colour. The last test date and next appliance test and tag date will be printed onto the label anyway, so the colour is less important.
Portable Appliance Testing FAQs
Do you have a question about Portable Appliance Testing that we haven’t already answered? Here are some frequently asked questions The Local Guys get from clients.
Who can test and tag electrical equipment?
Under AS/NZS 3760:2022 Australian safety standards, appliance testing and tagging can be completed by a competent person with a test and tag license. This license can only be obtained after completing a relevant test and tag course. Technicians from The Local Guys are fully-qualified to complete test and tag services.
While PAT Portable Appliance Testing doesn’t need to be done by a qualified electrician, there are a comprehensive series of user checks that need to be followed. Test and tag technicians from The Local Guys are trained to use Portable Appliance Testing machines safely and effectively.
What is the Australian Standard for Portable Appliance Testing?
How often should electrical equipment be tested and tagged? The Local Guys follow the AS/NZS 3760:2022 Australian Standards. Our portable appliance testers will conduct electrical test and tagging services based on the electrical safety standards set out in AS/NZS 3760:2022.
How often should Portable Appliance Testing be done?
Portable appliance testing should be done on a regular basis to ensure electrical appliances and devices are working safely.
The testing frequency you should follow will depend on:
- The type of appliance, device or equipment
- How often the electrical device gets used
- What environment is the appliance used in
What does PAT testing stand for?
PAT stands for: Portable Appliance Test. PAT is an acronym and abbreviation, which means it’s a shorter and easiest way to refer to Portable Appliance Testing. You’ll usually hear test and tag technicians use this slang to talk about PAT machines, PAT testers, or PAT testing in general.
How do you use a PAT tester?
Essentially, you use a pat tester by plugging the electrical device into the portable appliance tester and running a range of tests. But there’s a bit more to know about Portable Appliance Testing procedures than that.
How does PAT testing work?
PAT testers offer a combined inspection of portable appliances.
Our portable appliances tests run 3 main tests:
- Earth continuity: Also known as an earth resistance test, this is used to check that your portable appliance is safely connected to the earth. An unstable connection or bad earth conductor could allow electrical hazards to escape. The PAT tester will check the earth connection for safety and effectiveness.
- Insulation resistance: The insulation test is used to measure the resistance of insulation in your portable appliance. Ineffective insulation will not resist the flow of electrical currents or energy surges properly.
- Lead polarity: Electrical polarity refers to the direction that electrical currents flow. A polarity test is used to ensure that electrical conductors are still aligned correctly, because the wrong connection can cause electrical shocks.
How can you tell if an appliance is Class 1 or Class 2?
Class 1 and Class 2 appliances each have a special symbol to help identify them.
- Class 1 devices (earthed appliances) are identified by a symbol with one vertical line and three horizon lines within a circle.
- Class 2 devices (double-insulated appliances) are identified by a symbol of a square within a square.
Contact The Local Guys
Are you ready to book in Portable Appliance Testing? The Local Guys are a mobile service, so our technicians will arrive at your property with all the appliance testing supplies, equipment, and expertise to conduct a thorough assessment.
We’ve covered what a portable appliance is, how electrical devices are tested, who can test and tag equipment, and more! If you still have questions about portable appliance test and tagging, then get in touch with The Local Guys! Our friendly customer service team would be happy to answer questions about Portable Appliance Testing and our other Test and Tag services.
