Verbal Kint

When looking for a Portable appliance testing business it is worth making sure they have certification and membership with these bodies and agencies.

National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC)
The NICEIC is the leading independent voluntary regulatory body for electrical safety matters in the United Kingdom. It maintains and issues registers of electrical freelancer that have been measured against Scheme needs, including the national electrical safety standard BS 7671 along with IEE Wiring Regulations. The registers NICEIC maintains and issues consist of the national Roll of Approved Contractors (established in 1956), and the Register of Domestic Installers. NICEIC affords a choice of product qualifications activities centring on portable, transportable and fixed electrical equipment covering the design, fix, testing, appointing and repairs of electrical installations in commercial, industrial and home situations. Making sure that any of the PAT testing companies that employ them have trained checkers. The business has in its service more than 70 permanent assessing engineers and over 100 associate assessors across the United Kingdom that visit registered contractors checking their technical capability and examine samples of their work. There is a head office staff of more than 80 people including electrical engineers and professional support teams.

British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM)
The British Institute of Facilities Management is the UK’s lead institute standing for the interests of those who practice facilities management and others who earn a living in organisations providing facilities management related products or services. From its development in 1993, the BIFM has remained the quickest developing professional body in the UK and is the largest countrywide FM establishments in the world. A lot of its associates are individual experts and there is an increasing corporate joinings educating its associates in the value of good PAT testing practice.

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
RoSPA’s mission is to save life and lessen injuries. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is a registered charity established in excess of 80 years past and seeks to campaign for transformation, pressure attitudes, contribute to debate, educate and inform – for the betterment of all. By supplying information, guidance, resources and training, RoSPA is enthusiastically involved in the promotion of safety and the avoidance of mishaps in most areas of living – at work, in the home, and on the roads, in schools, at leisure and on (or near) water which is helping raise awareness about what PAT testing is.

Electrical Safety Council
The Electrical Safety Council is an self regulating non-profit-making establishment, registered as a charity, set up to protect the wellbeing of customers. Supported by all sectors of the electrical industry including local and central government, the Council deals with all electrical safety matters for the general public. The Council is a powerful force in the field of electrical safety for the protection of customers, involving with various establishments to benefit standards and encourage good practice. The Council’s responsibility is reflected in its mission, which is: To lessen electrical accidents and injuries. The Electrical Safety Council means to realise its mission through activities, collaborations and enterprise so that peoples needs on matters of electrical safety are allowed the fitting precedence and helping people understand why they require PAT testing.

Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
Formerly the Institution of Electrical Engineers and Institution of Incorporated Engineers, the Institution of Engineering and Technology is amongst the planets main professional organisations for the engineering and scientific community. The IET has more than 150,000 affiliates in 127 countries and has administrative centres in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. The Institution offers a global information network to manage the exchange of information and ideas. And encourages the positive responsblity of Science, Engineering and Technology in the planet. The IET stands for the engineering profession in matters of public worry and assists governments to make the public concious of scientific matters. It also gives guidance on all fields of engineering, often advising Parliament and other agencies and making sure that the role of PAT testing is up on the agenda.

City & Guilds Qualifications
The Electricity at Work Regulations require electrical systems to be maintained to avert hazard. The regulations comprise all electrical gear that can be connected to a supply of electrical power and that might inflict personal harm. Such gear can take the form of electrical/electronic goods, tools, heating apparatus and test instruments, etc. A number of Health and Safety Executive documents, BS and BS EN publications, the Electricity at Work Regulations and IEE Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment and the IEE Electrical Maintenance document may be referred to for authoritative guidance on maintenance procedures. The City & Guilds 2377 “Certificate for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment” certificate is designed to ensure that working electricians or others responsible for the maintenance of electrical gear are familiar with applying the Institute of Electrical Engineer’s code of practice, for in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment, and making sure that people that have responsibility for PAT testing are to a proficient level.

PAT testing should only be dealt with by fully qualified people. You chance not only your own safety but those of the people about you, if you do differently.