Test Results & Documentation

What is the pass mark for a PAT test?

• AAt least half of the individual test criteria having been met
• BAll visual inspection items passed AND all electrical tests within acceptable limits✓
• CAt least one test passing
• DVisual inspection passed only

Answer: Equipment passes PAT only if visual inspection finds no major faults AND all electrical tests are within acceptable limits.

According to HSE guidance, what should a PAT label show if one is used?

• AThe colour of the equipment and the room where it is normally kept
• BThat the item passed as safe and the date on which it was tested✓
• COnly whether the item passed or not, with no dates recorded at all
• DThe test date and a next test date chosen by the tester

Answer: Labelling is not required by law. HSE's HSG107 says a dutyholder may find it useful to label equipment to show that it has been passed as safe and when it was tested, but that the label should not carry a next test due date, because the interval is for the dutyholder to decide by risk assessment, not the person doing the test.

How should failed equipment be marked?

• AWith a red 'Failed' label✓
• BIt should not be marked in any way
• CEquipment is immediately discarded
• DWith a green pass label as normal

Answer: Failed equipment should be clearly marked (typically with a red 'Failed' label or sticker) and removed from service.

HSE advises that a PAT label should not show a 'next test due' date. Why?

• ADates printed on labels fade too quickly to be read reliably
• BThe retest interval is for the dutyholder to set by risk assessment✓
• CThe law requires the date to appear only on the test record
• DRetest dates are fixed in law and need not be shown on labels

Answer: HSE's HSG107 says the person carrying out a test should not assess when the next test is due, as that decision belongs to the dutyholder based on a risk assessment, so a label should not carry a next test due date. No law fixes retest intervals, and neither labels nor test records are a legal requirement.

How should a formal PAT test be documented?

• AA record is kept where the item has failed, since passes need no written record
• BLeft undocumented, as the pass label is enough
• CWritten record with equipment details, test results, and pass/fail decision✓
• DVerbally, by telling the owner the result

Answer: PAT testing requires detailed written records showing what was tested, results for each test, and the overall pass/fail decision.

What is 'risk-based testing frequency'?

• ATesting frequency determined by equipment risk level and environment✓
• BA single fixed interval for the whole site, set by the insurer each year
• CTesting the high-risk items and leaving the rest untested
• DRandom testing of items picked from the asset register

Answer: Risk-based approach adjusts testing frequency based on equipment type and environment. High-risk items (wet environments) are tested more frequently.

What starting interval does HSE suggest for testing earthed (Class I) office IT that is rarely moved, such as a desktop computer?

• AWeekly
• B6 months
• CUp to 5 years✓
• D1 month

Answer: HSE's leaflet INDG236 suggests a combined inspection and test of up to 5 years for earthed desktop computers, VDU screens and photocopiers that are rarely moved, with a formal visual inspection every 2-4 years. Double-insulated versions need no routine test.

How should a wet or harsh working environment affect the interval between PAT inspections and tests?

• AIt makes no difference, as the interval depends on equipment type alone
• BThe interval should be shorter than for equipment in dry, low-risk areas✓
• CThe interval can be longer, because the equipment is built to cope with it
• DThe interval should be a fixed 12 months, whatever the conditions of use

Answer: HSE's HSG107 says the frequency of inspection and testing depends on the type of equipment and how and where it is used, and that more demanding conditions of use need more frequent formal visual inspections and combined inspections and tests. It names harsh and sometimes wet environments such as construction sites as high risk, suggesting monthly combined tests for 230V equipment there, against years for office IT.

What should you do if you cannot attach a PAT label to the equipment?

• ATest the item anyway and leave no record at all of the test having been carried out
• BKeep a separate record and document the reason in your testing records✓
• CLeave it untested because it cannot carry a label
• DReturn it to the user unlabelled, with nothing recorded

Answer: Labels are optional, and HSE's HSG107 says neither labelling nor keeping records is a legal requirement, but a log is a useful management tool. Where a label will not fit, recording the item, its result and why it is unlabelled keeps it traceable within the maintenance plan so it is not missed at the next check.

A kettle's earth continuity reading has risen from 0.08 Ω to 0.16 Ω since its last test but is still within its (0.1 + R) limit. What should happen?

• AFail it, because a rise in the reading means it is unsafe
• BPass it, record the reading and look for the cause of the rise✓
• CPass it and ignore the change, since the limit is what matters
• DRetest it with a higher current until the reading comes down

Answer: A reading within the (0.1 + R) limit is a pass, but HSE's HSG107 notes that records can reveal an adverse trend in test readings before an item fails. A clearly rising earth continuity reading suggests a loose terminal or a damaged cord, so record it and investigate. Repeating the test to get a lower number hides the problem rather than fixing it.

Who should have access to PAT test records?

• AMembers of the public who ask to see them, without restriction
• BThe HSE, which holds the records centrally for each business
• CTester, equipment owners, and relevant safety personnel✓
• DThe tester alone, and nobody else

Answer: PAT records are important for demonstrating due diligence in electrical safety and should be accessible to responsible personnel.

What does HSE guidance say about keeping records of portable appliance inspection and testing?

• AThey are a legal duty, with a five-year retention period after each test
• BThey are held by the HSE, which keeps them for the life of the appliance
• CThey replace the need for a visual inspection of the appliance
• DThey are not a legal duty but are useful for managing maintenance✓

Answer: HSE's HSG107 states that there is no legal requirement to keep maintenance logs for portable electrical equipment, and so no set retention period, but that a suitable log is a useful management tool for monitoring and reviewing the maintenance plan, for example by showing where faults recur and whether test readings are drifting.

What is 'due diligence' in the context of PAT testing?

• ASystematic, documented efforts to maintain electrical safety✓
• BSpot checks made without a schedule or records
• CTesting each item once, at the point when it is first bought
• DTesting items after a problem has been reported by a user

Answer: Due diligence means systematic, documented efforts to ensure electrical safety, including planned testing and record-keeping.

What should you record if equipment cannot be tested?

• ADocument why testing couldn't be completed✓
• BMark the item down as having passed the test anyway
• CThe item may simply be omitted from the record
• DIgnore the item completely and move on to the next one

Answer: If equipment cannot be tested (e.g., inaccessible, requires special expertise), this must be documented with the reason.

What are typical PAT testing interval categories by risk?

• AA single interval fits everything, so risk categories are pointless
• BOffice IT: 3 months, Industrial: 5 years, Construction: 10 years
• CA 12-month interval for each item, whatever the environment or use
• DOffice IT: up to 5y, Industrial: 6-12m, Construction: 1-3m✓

Answer: HSE's HSG107 Table 1 gives suggested starting intervals for a combined inspection and test, not legal requirements: up to 5 years for earthed office IT that is rarely moved (none if double insulated), 6-12 months for light and heavy industrial equipment, and on a construction site before first use, then every 3 months for 110V equipment or monthly for 230V equipment. The 2020 edition of the IET Code of Practice dropped its own example table, so the dutyholder adjusts intervals by risk and experience.

What is the significance of a 'FAIL' PAT result?

• AThe equipment can simply be retested immediately and then passed
• BThe equipment must be removed from service immediately✓
• CIt indicates only a minor issue
• DThe equipment may still be used until the next scheduled test

Answer: A FAIL result means the equipment poses a safety risk and must be removed from service until repaired and retested.

Where an organisation labels its equipment, what should happen to the label when an item is retested and passes?

• AReplace it with one showing the new test date and the result✓
• BLeave the old label in place because the item has not changed
• CRemove the old label and leave the item without any label at all
• DWrite a next test date chosen by the tester on the old label

Answer: Labels are optional, but HSE's HSG107 says that where they are used they show that the item has been passed as safe and when it was tested, so a retested item needs a label with the new date. HSE advises against a next test due date on any label, because the retest interval is the dutyholder's decision based on risk assessment, not the tester's.

What information identifies the tester on a PAT report?

• AThe tester may stay anonymous
• BThe name of the department that owns the piece of equipment which was tested
• CTheir name or initials or an ID number alongside the results✓
• DOnly their first name

Answer: A report or log is more useful when it shows who carried out each inspection and test, by name, initials or an ID number, so that results can be followed up. HSE's HSG107 says the employer must make sure anyone testing portable equipment is competent, and a record of who tested supports that. Labels are optional, and HSE describes them as showing only that an item passed and when it was tested.

What does 'beyond repair' mean for failed equipment?

• AThe equipment is too expensive to fix and should be safely disposed of✓
• BIt will repair itself
• CTesting should be tried again
• DIt may still be used in low-risk areas such as a dry and carpeted office room

Answer: Equipment declared beyond repair due to serious electrical faults should be safely disposed of (recycled), not reused.

What does HSE advise when equipment fails a user check, inspection or test?

• AKeep using it carefully until the next scheduled test date
• BTake it out of use and report it so it is not used until repaired✓
• CLet the user decide whether it is safe enough to keep using
• DRecord the failure and return it to the user straight away

Answer: HSE's HSG107 says a fault found by a user check should be reported to the relevant manager and the equipment taken out of use immediately, and that equipment failing a user check, formal visual inspection or combined inspection and test should not be used until a competent person has repaired it. Marking it as faulty, or removing a rewireable plug, helps stop anyone using it in the meantime.