Extension leads are easy to overlook because they are often treated as accessories rather than electrical equipment in their own right. In practice, they can suffer heavy wear from being moved, coiled, dragged across floors and connected to different appliances.
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Should extension leads be included in a PAT programme?
They should be considered as part of the electrical equipment maintenance programme. HSE guidance says the same user checks that apply to portable equipment also apply to extension leads, plugs and sockets.
What should be checked visually?
- Cuts, crushing or fraying of the flexible cable
- Cracked or damaged plug tops and socket bodies
- Bent or damaged plug pins
- Taped or makeshift cable joints
- Loose cable entries or exposed inner insulation
- Signs of overheating or burning
- Damage caused by vehicles, doors, furniture or machinery
When can electrical testing add value?
Where the risk, equipment history or environment justifies it, combined inspection and testing can help confirm electrical safety beyond what can be seen visually. This may be particularly relevant where leads are used frequently, moved between areas or exposed to tougher conditions.
Does every extension lead need annual PAT testing?
No single annual interval applies to every lead. The maintenance frequency should reflect how often the lead is moved, where it is used and what previous checks have found.
Extension leads in higher-risk environments
Construction, warehouse and maintenance environments can place much greater mechanical stress on extension equipment than a low-risk office. Where leads are exposed to dust, impact, water or repeated movement, more frequent inspection may be appropriate.
See our PAT testing for construction sites and manufacturing and warehouse PAT testing pages.
What if an extension lead is damaged?
Damaged equipment should be taken out of use until it has been repaired by a competent person or replaced. A PAT label should never be treated as permission to continue using a lead that has obvious damage.
Official guidance
HSE explains the role of user checks, visual inspection and combined inspection/testing in HSG107: Maintaining portable electrical equipment.
Need extension leads included in your testing programme?
National PAT Compliance can include suitable extension leads and portable equipment as part of a structured PAT testing service. Request a quotation.