There is no single job title that is always “responsible for PAT testing.” The important question is who has responsibility for making sure electrical equipment is maintained safely in that workplace.
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Employers and organisations
Employers have duties relating to electrical safety where equipment is used at work. In many organisations, the practical management of electrical equipment is delegated to a facilities manager, health and safety manager, premises manager or maintenance team.
Facilities and property managers
Facilities and property teams often coordinate testing because they control access, asset records and contractor scheduling. For multi-site estates, consistency of records is particularly important.
See our PAT testing for property and facilities managers page for multi-site options.
Landlords and managing agents
Where appliances are supplied with rented property, landlords and managing agents need to consider how those items will be kept safe. Formal inspection and testing can form part of that maintenance system depending on the equipment and risk.
Read more on our PAT testing for landlords page.
Schools and care settings
In schools, care homes and other managed environments, responsibility may sit with estates, premises, facilities or compliance staff. Testing needs to be coordinated around access, occupants and operational routines.
Does the person arranging PAT testing need to be an electrician?
HSE says the person carrying out combined inspection and testing needs the knowledge, experience and equipment required to do the work competently and understand the results. Visual inspections in low-risk settings may be carried out by suitably trained staff where appropriate.
Keep the responsibility clear
A practical system should make it clear who:
- Reports damaged equipment
- Removes unsafe equipment from use
- Arranges formal inspection or testing
- Reviews failed items and repairs
- Sets or reviews future inspection intervals
- Keeps any records the organisation chooses to maintain
Need a testing contractor?
National PAT Compliance provides professional PAT testing and digital reporting for organisations across the UK. Explore our sector pages or request a quotation.