A Portable Appliance Test or PAT, in the United Kingdom is a process by which electrical appliances are routinely checked to see whether they are safe. The correct term for the whole process is In-service Inspection & Testing of Electrical Equipment.

When people work with electrical appliances, health and safety regulations say that the appliance must be safe. Many types of equipment require testing at regular intervals to ensure continual safety; the interval between tests depending on both the type of appliance and the environment it is used in. The test engineer will determine the correct interval between tests depending on the environment and amount of use.

The resulting evidence of Portable Appliance Testing (commonly known as PAT Testing or PA Testing) is clearly visible to workers in the form of 'Passed' , 'Tested For Electrical Safety' and 'DO NOT USE after' labels affixed to various parts of the electrical equipment they use.

We affix the labeles in a visable but discrete position.


Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 requires that all electrical systems (including electrical appliances) are maintained (so far as is reasonably practicable) to prevent danger. Guidance from the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) suggest initial intervals for combined inspection and testing that range from three months (for construction equipment) to five years for inspection and testing.

PAT test label