Information On Pat Testing Regulations For Landlords:

In the property sector, a duty of care exists for landlords and estate agents to ensure the safety of portable electrical appliances in the properties that they lease to their tenants.

You are likely to be held legally liable for fire damage and personal injury resulting from unsafe portable appliances. These include garden equipment, TVs, toasters, fridges and vacuum cleaners.

Pat Testing is vital to ensure you have fully complied with Pat testing regulations and to give your tenants peace of mind in their homes and offices.

Information On Pat Testing Regulations For Letting Agents

The Electrical Equipment (safety) Regulations 1994, mandatory since 1 January 1997. State that all portable electrical appliances supplied with let accommodation must be safe. This applies to both new and second-hand portable appliances and covers all portable electrical items supplied for the intended use of the tenant. The only sure method of ensuring that these portable appliances are safe is to have them tested by a competent person using the appropriate calibrated Pat testing equipment.

Failure to comply with the Electrical Regulations may constitute a criminal offence under the Consumers Protection Act 1987, which carries a maximum penalty on summary conviction of a £5000 fine and/or 6 months imprisonment. In addition, be sued in Civil Law under the duty of care for failure to ensure the tenants safety and face punitive damages.

Information On Pat Testing Regulations For Businesses:          

Pat testing is an important step towards satisfying an employer's legal duty of care to protect their employees and customers from harm in the workplace. In addition, many insurers view regular pat testing as an essential condition of their insurance contracts.

Most major underwriters have indicated that they require the businesses they insure to be compliant with all pat testing regulations when insuring the business. An insurer may reduce, delay or even refuse to pay on a claim for damage if a portable appliance that has not been tested has led or contributed to the damage.

Electricity at work regulations 1989 Regulation 4 (2): 'As may be necessary to prevent danger all systems shall be maintained so as to prevent so far as is reasonably practicable such danger.'

To meet the requirements of the 1989 Electricity at work regulations, it is widely regarded to be necessary to implement a programme of planned inspection and testing of portable appliances.

In the Health & Safety At Work Act 1974, all employers have a legal duty to provide safe plant and equipment and every employer must ensure that portable appliances must be maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and good repair.