PAT Testing at Work: What Every UK Employer Needs to Know

Employers need to keep work equipment safe. A proportionate maintenance plan can include user checks, formal visual inspection and appropriate electrical tests.

This guide helps facilities managers decide the scope, responsibilities and records for their actual workplace.

The starting point: who's responsible

Workplace PAT testing responsibility sits with the employer. That's the duty holder under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.

In practice, the employer typically delegates day-to-day responsibility to:

• A facilities manager or office manager
• A health and safety officer
• An external compliance contractor

But delegation doesn't transfer ultimate responsibility. If something goes wrong, the employer remains accountable.

For more on the legal background, see our post on PAT testing as a legal requirement.

What workplace appliances need testing

The general rule: every mains-powered electrical appliance used at work falls under your duty of care. That includes:

Office equipment

• Desktop PCs, monitors, laptops chargers, printers, photocopiers
• Phone chargers, tablet chargers
• Desk fans, desk lamps, plug-in heaters
• Shredders, label printers, scanners
• Projectors and AV equipment

For the specific testing approach for IT, see our PAT testing for IT equipment post.

Kitchen and break-room equipment

• Kettles, microwaves, toasters
• Fridges, freezers, dishwashers
• Coffee machines, water dispensers
• Vending machines

Cleaning equipment

• Vacuum cleaners
• Floor cleaners
• Pressure washers (where applicable)

Tools and workshop equipment

• Power tools (corded)
• Battery chargers for cordless tools
• Workshop lighting, inspection lamps
• Bench equipment

Heating, cooling and ventilation

• Plug-in heaters and fan heaters
• Portable air conditioners
• Dehumidifiers
• Office fans

Extension leads and adapters

• All extension leads (single, multi-way, reel)
• Multi-way socket adapters
• IEC kettle leads
• Travel adapters in business use

Building-fixed equipment with PAT scope

• Wall-mounted hand dryers (fixed appliances)
• Built-in extractor fans
• Fixed wall heaters (where plug-connectable)

For the full breakdown, see our post on what appliances need PAT testing.

What's NOT in scope

A few things commonly cause confusion:

• The fixed electrical installation (wiring, sockets, consumer unit) — covered by EICR, not PAT testing. See our PAT testing vs EICR comparison.
• Battery-only equipment — the charger gets tested, not the device
• Personal employee items — but only if they don't get used at work; if used at work, they fall under your duty
• Assess the equipment before use and include it in the maintenance policy. Arrange inspection and any electrical testing according to its condition, history and risks.

The "personal items at work" question

Employees frequently bring their own appliances to work — kettles, fans, chargers, hairdryers. The legal reality is that any electrical equipment in use at work falls under your duty of care, regardless of who owns it.

The pragmatic approach is a clear policy:

1. Assess the equipment before use and include it in the maintenance policy. Arrange inspection and any electrical testing according to its condition, history and risks.
2. Either the employer tests them (typically free of charge), or staff arrange testing themselves

Personal equipment must be covered by the policy

Include employee-owned equipment used for work in the maintenance policy. Decide the checks needed from the risks, and remove unsafe equipment from use. A missing PAT label alone does not establish that an item is unsafe.

How often workplace PAT testing should be done

Choose inspection and test intervals from the equipment, environment, use, manufacturer instructions and previous findings. There is no universal annual PAT interval. HSE explains the risk-based approach.

The IET removed the old frequency table from the fifth edition of its Code of Practice; it did not replace it with a new set of fixed intervals. Read the IET explanation.

In-house testing vs external contractor

The most cost-effective approach depends on your appliance count and number of sites.

External contractor makes sense when:

• You have fewer than ~50 appliances
• Single site
• Testing is genuinely once-every-2-years infrequent
• You don't have anyone with technical interest internally

Typical contractor cost: £1-2 per item, with minimum visit fees of £50-100. A 30-item office is usually £60-100 per visit.

In-house testing makes sense when:

• 50+ appliances
• Multiple sites
• Complex or sensitive equipment (servers, lab equipment) where you want internal control
• Frequent appliance changes (high-turnover environment)
• Existing maintenance staff who could absorb the role

A PAT course can help develop inspection and testing skills. Competence also depends on practical ability, experience, the equipment involved and understanding the results. Successful learners on our classroom course receive a Skills Training Group certificate within one working day. Check the course scope and arrange additional training or specialist assistance for work outside it. See the course details and available locations.

An independent review can be useful alongside in-house maintenance. Choose its scope and timing from risks, staff competence, previous findings and applicable requirements rather than a fixed five-year audit rule.

Setting up a workplace PAT testing regime

Step 1: Build your asset register

Walk through every space — every desk, every kitchen, every storeroom — and list every appliance. Note location, class, type, and any visible issues.

A typical UK office has 3-5 testable items per employee once you count chargers, leads, kettles, communal kitchen items, etc. So a 50-employee office is typically 150-250 items.

Step 2: Categorise by environment and risk

If you have a single low-risk office, intervals are simple. If you have mixed environments — office plus kitchen plus workshop — different items need different intervals.

Step 3: Decide on testing approach

In-house, contractor, or hybrid. Get costs for each option for your specific premises and asset count.

Step 4: Implement the testing

The first round establishes an inventory and baseline condition, with inspections and electrical tests appropriate to each item rather than automatic testing of everything.

Step 5: Maintain ongoing records

Every test, every change, every failure gets recorded. See our record sheet template post for structure.

Step 6: Review the regime annually

Review the maintenance plan when equipment, work or inspection findings change, and periodically check that it remains effective. An annual reminder can be useful but is not a universal statutory review interval.

What inspectors and insurers actually look for

Be able to explain the risks, who is responsible, the competence of those doing the work, how defects are dealt with and why the maintenance plan is appropriate. Keep records required by applicable rules or contracts and useful records for management. A label is not a substitute for this system.

Common workplace PAT testing mistakes

Testing everything annually

One interval for every item can over-test low-risk equipment and under-manage equipment exposed to frequent damage. Review the actual condition, use and environment.

Outsourcing without retaining records

Many businesses hand the entire testing function to a contractor and never retain copies of the records themselves. When the contractor changes, the records are effectively lost.

Always keep copies of all records — certificates, asset registers, test results — in your own systems. The contractor is providing a service; the records are yours.

Forgetting "back office" appliances

The kettle in the directors' office. The dehumidifier in the basement that runs continuously. The printer in the storage cupboard nobody opens. The asset register needs to be genuinely complete, not just covering the obvious public-facing equipment.

Not testing employee personal items

Personal kettles, chargers and fans are often the highest-risk appliances in a workplace because they bypass the formal regime. Either test them (recommended) or have a clear policy banning untested personal equipment.

Treating EICR as covering appliances

The EICR is the test of the fixed installation (wiring, sockets, consumer unit). PAT testing covers plug-in appliances. Both are needed; neither covers the other.

What about home workers?

Hybrid and remote working has created new questions for workplace PAT testing. The legal position:

• Equipment provided by the employer for home use (laptops, monitors, chargers, desk lamps) remains under the employer's duty of care
• Equipment owned by the employee in their own home is the employee's responsibility
• The grey area is employer-provided equipment used in the employee's home alongside their own equipment — testing of the employer-provided items is the employer's duty, but the testing logistics are awkward

In practice, most employers handle this by either:

1. Asking employees to bring employer-provided equipment to the office for periodic testing
2. Sending equipment back to the office on a rotating schedule

Engaging a contractor that visits home workers for testing

Tax and reasonable accommodation rules can apply — get HR advice on the specifics if you're starting from scratch.

Frequently asked questions

Is PAT testing required for offices?

Not by name in any specific law, but the duty to maintain safe electrical equipment under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 effectively requires it. PAT testing is the standard accepted method.

How often should office equipment be PAT tested?

Choose inspection and test intervals from the equipment, environment, use, manufacturer instructions and previous findings. There is no universal annual PAT interval. HSE explains the risk-based approach.

The IET removed the old frequency table from the fifth edition of its Code of Practice; it did not replace it with a new set of fixed intervals. Read the IET explanation.

Who is responsible for workplace PAT testing?

The employer, as duty holder under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The employer can delegate the operational task to facilities, an in-house tester, or a contractor — but ultimate responsibility remains with the employer.

Can a small business avoid PAT testing?

A small business still needs safe equipment. Depending on risk, user checks and formal visual inspections may be sufficient for some items; others need electrical testing. Do not infer the maintenance plan from business size alone.

Do home workers need their work equipment PAT tested?

Yes — equipment supplied by the employer remains under the employer's duty of care regardless of where it's used. The logistics are awkward but the obligation is the same as for in-office equipment.

What's the fine for not PAT testing in a workplace?

There is no single PAT fine. Enforcement concerns breaches of the applicable safety duties and depends on the facts. Insurance consequences likewise depend on the policy and claim circumstances.

Can I do my own workplace PAT testing?

You can arrange in-house inspection and testing where the person doing it is competent for the equipment and procedures involved. Training can contribute to that competence; specialist equipment or unfamiliar results may require additional support.

The takeaway

Maintain equipment according to risk, train people for the tasks they undertake and respond promptly to defects. Assess in-house and contractor options using the real scope and staff time; neither is automatically cheaper or more competent.