Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Karl Wildey on June 15, 2005, 02:59:40 pm
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If you hire equipment for drying, ie dehums, blowers etc, these require PAT testing.
Do you sub this out, or have you brought your own PAT tester, if so what ones do you recommend.
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All equipment requires an annual test, not just hired. If you go into someones house with a portable and their child gets a shock, if your machines been pat tested and regularly serviced chances are you'll come out ok. If it hasn't been you could be in deep ****.
Ignorance is no defence in court.
As self employed we tend to become a bit detached from whats going on in the real world of business. You can soldier on quite nicely, everythings going well, but theres always something to bite you in the arse. Cover it at all times.
If you buy a pat tester make sure you do the appropriate training course or its not worth having. Most of the suppliers offer the training and as far as I'm aware you don't need to be a qualified electrician.
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I've got a mate who should be able to pat test for you Karl, give me a ring after the weekend ,i'll tap him up friday nite when i'm on the beer ;)
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Two Our Community Group leaders went on a PAT course so that they could sell small electrical goods in The Community shop.
It cost £600 they failed as you really needed to be an electrician to pass
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Did electronics at college so know my electrics better than your average joe, just have to weigh up the costs involved.
Maybe a 2nd hand pat tester, I better look at Ebay
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I know someone who has done a PAT testing course. He is by no means an electrician and passed with flying colours. I think you will find that all hire companies electrical equipment is PAT tested. If it isnt DONT HIRE IT. Go somewhere else.
Richie.
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your portables require testing every 3 months as a minimum and if you are installing dehums/airmovers they need testing at each new installation...extension leads also require testing every time they are installed
you dont need to be a spark to pass pat testing course its a piece of cake your local nightschool supplying college may well run a 1 night course
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Ian
Have to ask what do they do for a living that some times has a bearing? Also may I make a suggestion tell them boot sales?
Even Pat equipment needs a pat test.
Len
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I should know this, but I don't!!!
How old does a machine have to be before it is PAT tested?
I believe they have to be tested at 12 months? How much is a PAT test and how long does it take. A test every 3 months sounds a bit severe, sounds like another Government business tax to me. Of course I agree that electrical equipment has to be safe, but surely 6-12 months would be adequate, especially as part of H & S the wires and plugs are checked daily. It seems unfair to generlise because some machines are on all day, and others a couple of hours a week.
Also were do you get those green PAT stickers from ;)
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dont think it matters if a machine is brand new or not it needs pat testing every time it goes onto a new job think about it you install a dehum into mrs browns house while its in there mrs brown has a play with the plug and disconnects the earth wire from the plug.you pick up the machine and install it a few days later into mrs blacks water comes through her ceiling and soaks the live/neutral connectors and sends the chassis live mrs black comes along touches casing and woof shes gone,if you had pat tested it b4 install you would have picked up the missing earth lead and sorted it or chosen not to install the dehum until; checked by a spark who would have found the fault easilly.,definately doesnt matter how old the equipment is it needs pat testing at every new install
as for electrical equipment on your van there is a table available that tells you how often these things need testing it all depends on equipment type/frequency of use etc but i can assure you that your hwe needs testing/result recording at least every 3 mths and visually inspected every time it is used
as for the stickers try electrical distributors they should have them
might post some extra info that i may have somewere if anybody is interested more
doug
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If there is anybody else on here like me then we need all the PAT information we can get. So yes please. post away.
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Doug
Not knocking please define visually inspected, and yes I’m always interested in any type of safety and would like to see more PM’s may be cut off please use my e-mail address
Are you associated with munters
Len
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judt an employee len nowt more m8
visual inspection for me would be checking the device for breaks to the casing etc,would then take the power lead and make sure it is well connected to the machine then inspect the full lenth of the cable for cuts,crushing etc ending up at the plug were i would check that the integrity of the plug housing,is it cracked?are the pins bent? etc.you could i suppose open the top of the plug to check that the wires are fully into the terminals and that the terminal screws are tight etc
these are probably things you do without thinking about anyway
will see what i can dig out for you all as soon as i can
doug
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The two Community Group people are on invalid benifit, but run a Charrity Shop for the benifit of the local Community.
They went on this PAt Course one used to be a Miner I think.
I have been trying to find out if there are diffrent levels of PAT training as they were only going to deal in simple appliances such as Vacs etc
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Hi Karl
Re: Pat testing
All the information you require can be found here
http://www.pat-testing.info/
and a very good site
http://www.tuc.org.uk/index.cfm
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I think I better pull my finger out and get Pat testing. Sounds like 99% of all cc's fail to have PAt testing done.
'
And sshh, Ron 'Sherlock' King has not posted on this post, must be a record ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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AND no ones mentioned Allerg-Stop
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Doug
Anything about HS would be appreciated
Ian
Did not ask where they got their money, invalidity covers a wide spectrum
Karl
Do you recon he hasn’t got an electric machine ;D ;D
Garyj
Haven’t they a picture tells a thousand stories. ;D
Len
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After using any electrical appliance, always coil the cable from the appliance end, saves cable twisting and breaking at connections in appliance.
This way you always twist the curl out of the cable and NOT into it!!!
Hey Len, how much are those words of wisdom worth??. Nowt i suppose, am only an old fat bloke from upt north!!
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As Frank Butcher used to say
Ahh Pat!
Shaun
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have you guy's checked the forum sponsors site
Portable appliance testing:
In accordance with the Electricity at Work Regulations (1989), we can offer low cost Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) on all makes of commercial cleaning equipment. This can be arranged on an ad-hoc basis or on a planned yearly contract.
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Richard
No argument from me, I don’t know how to be blinkered, have you or did you change your picture as I haven’t !
John
I prefer the word lasso then I can hang them from it! I hate pigtails (figure eight’s) staff have a tendency to touch the ground but ether way are the checking cable think not! Are you a Billy bunter? Or as Shaun put it Pat think about it! Before replying! All you need is love but with whom? ;D ;D
Len
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len
I changed my picture back and deleted post.
Just to clarify PAT Testing
There are three types of inspection
1) user should be carried out before use of equipment.
2) Formal Visual should be carried out by a COMPATENT PERSON
3) Formal Visual and PAT TEST should be carried out by a COMPATENT PERSON.
When time permits i will expand on each inspection and test.
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PAT TESTING
All employees are required by the Electricity at Work Regulations to work safely with electrical appliances/equipment. In order for them to do this they must have appropriate training from their employer. The employer is required to provide this training under the Electricity at Work Regulations and General Health and Safety Regulations.
This training need only be of short duration and generally this is all commonsense.
A set routine of pre-use checks should be established. This protects both the employee and the employer.
A sample visual inspection as follows:
1) user visual inspection
Please note this inspection should be carried out by any user before the appliance is connected to a mains supply.
a) Check the equipment for damage look for cracks or obvious external damage.
b) Examine the cable supplying the device is it free from cuts cracks abrasions exposing the inner cores. Does the cable have any tape joints these are electrically unsafe if cable has been joined standard joint connectors should be employed.
c) Check the cable sheath is it secure in the plug and just the outer sheath showing where it enters the plug no other conductor cables should be seen. Is the cable firmly attached to the equipment end of the appliance.
d) Check the plug top for damage cracks splitting or over heating damage. Is the plug top secure. Are the sides of the plug intact no exposed conductors showing.
e) Check the pins for damage are they bent is there an earth pin on the plug and are they secure. Even if the appliance dose not require an earth connection an earth pin is required to operate the safety gates on a standard wall socket.
f) Does the equipment have a valid label to show that it has been formally inspected or PAT tested.
g) Is the equipment correct for the environment that it will be used in.
If your equipment or appliance dose not pass these visual checks then do not use label equipment not to be used or words to that effect. Then report the fault to a responsible person
On no account should a user remove the plug top to inspect the wiring. This should only be carried out by a competent person. Unless The user is classed as a competent person if this is the case a record of the fault found should be made.
If no faults are found then there is no need to record a visual inspection.
Hope this explains a user visual inspection.
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KBI lads !!
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Portable Appliance Testing.
Formal Visual Inspection
This should only be undertaken by a COMPETENT person. The visual inspection should be carried out with the equipment or appliance disconnected from the mains. All results should be recorded for this type of inspection. This record is proof that as an employer you are complying with the Electricity at Work Regulations and General Health and Safety Regulations in relation to employees working with or using electrical equipment.
A Formal Visual Inspection should be carried out on all new equipment before it goes into service. New equipment can be damaged in transit and or during assembly.
A sample Formal Visual inspection
a) all the items inspected in the User Visual Inspection
b) The plug top should be removed if it is not a sealed unit.
c) All conductors should be checked for correct polarity i.e. That the brown conductor is connected to the fuse line the blue conductor connected to the neutral line and the green & yellow connected to the earth terminal ( if the equipment is a class 1)
d) All conductors should be firmly seated in the terminals no strands of conductors should be visible outside the terminals the outer insulated sheaths of the conductors should just be touching the terminals but not inside
e) The length of the individual conductors inside the plug should be just long enough to avoid strain on the conductor ( no bunching of conductors being compressed by the plug top)
f) The fuse should be checked for correct rating this will depend on the type of appliance the fuse should be tight fitting in the terminals and comply with British Standards.
g) The outer insulation of the cable should be firmly seated in the plug retaining clamp or guides
h) If all is as expected then the equipment or appliance should be connected to a mains supply and operational tests should be done to ensure safe mechanical or electrical operation of the equipment.
i) All equipment should be labelled accordingly
j) Any faults found should be rectified and if need be a full PAT test should be conducted.
The frequency of Formal Visual Inspections is dependant on the time between Full PAT Tests i.e. if the PAT Test was yearly then a six month frequency for a Formal Visual Inspection would be reasonable.
Think of PAT Testing to be like an MOT for your van ( might not be yearly),
Your User Visual Inspection just like the checks you would do before you drive your van.
The Formal Visual Inspection just like a service.
The Full PAT Test just like your MOT.
Hope this explains Formal Visual Inspection.
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parker-bell.co.uk sell a pat tester pac 500-xp cost 275 and does not require
training. jim