Pat testing length

[Jivemaster]

Having a testing contractor in removes the need for in house staff to do the job BUT I suspect that many contractors sub out the work to self employed (or not) people with no insurance held by the company or the worker and T&Cs so well written as to evade all issues. 

[Stuart91]

I did wonder if many of the PAT testing companies had a "disposable" structure, where the Ltd. company can be wound up at the first sniff of a claim against them. 

Of course, it's very hard to prove that a dangerous item didn't deteriorate after the test took place. 

I'd sometimes wondered about leaving "traps" for testers, like plugs with the fuses removed, so that they should be impossible to test properly without replacement. 

[themadhippy]

Quote

I'd sometimes wondered about leaving "traps" for testers, like plugs with the fuses removed, so that they should be impossible to test properly without replacement. 

and then you start getting into the grey areas of how the regs are interpreted,does a visual inspection,which is to check for damage cover the fuse?what about opening the plug top isnt that disassemble,and good luck when the find your 600w drill   is fitted with a 13A fuse but is wired with 1.5mm hof5

[J Pearce]

2 hours ago, Stuart91 said:

I'd sometimes wondered about leaving "traps" for testers, like plugs with the fuses removed, so that they should be impossible to test properly without replacement. 

At a previous job where PAT was contracted out I always left a trap. It would be something that would fail PAT, but not be dangerous. As per your suggestion a missing fuse in an extension lead (so should fail on continuity) was a common one.

They usually passed...

[themadhippy]

Quote

. As per your suggestion a missing fuse in an extension lead (so should fail on continuity) was a common one.

but continuity apart from the earth aint  required,what it will fail on is the polarity test

[p.k.roberts]

Surely it should fail the (formal) visual inspection before it even got that far .....

[J Pearce]

1 hour ago, themadhippy said:

but continuity apart from the earth aint  required,what it will fail on is the polarity test

Aside from arguments on what is required vs what is sensbile- in this specific instance, continuity testing extension leads was part of the agreed service level.

[pscandrett]

You can't leave us hanging! What was the response when you pointed out that your trap cable had incorrectly passed? How did they reply to try to (re)gain your trust in their service?

[J Pearce]

This was in a rather large establishment with corporate management chains, so the findings were reported up the chain - partly as a push to get a more specialist company in for our theatrical equipment.

[gareth]

I took a tour out for a theatre company a couple of years ago. Mainly rental kit, but supplemented with some stock from the company's own inventory, including some freshly-tested (by a contractor) 15A extensions. Found one that didn't work, opened up to investigate, the live conductor in the socket wasn't even connected - just floating about in space, and the screw was only hanging on in the terminal by about half a turn. The cable had a 'passed' sticker on it from a few weeks before and had been sitting on a shelf in the store in the meantime. Reported it back to the company's production office - don't think they did anything about it, I wouldn't be surprised if the same cowboy outfit still do their testing for them.

[Simon Lewis]

19 hours ago, themadhippy said:

and then you start getting into the grey areas of how the regs are interpreted,does a visual inspection,which is to check for damage cover the fuse?what about opening the plug top isnt that disassemble,and good luck when the find your 600w drill   is fitted with a 13A fuse but is wired with 1.5mm hof5

The formal visual inspection covers inspecting the fuse and taking the plug top apart. 
Knowing if a 13A fuse is appropriate on the drill given as an example is all part of being a competent person to carry out the test...
(all paraphrased from COPISITEE)

 

[adam2]

A 13 amp fuse would be the norm for even a small electric drill due to starting or inrush currents. 1.5mm flex is arguably larger than is needed, and almost certainly larger than that originally fitted, but not dangerous.

PAT monkeys tested AND PASSED a Tilley lamp at one of my workplaces.

 

[Glyn Edwards]

10 minutes ago, adam2 said:

PAT monkeys tested AND PASSED a Tilley lamp at one of my workplaces.

 

Well I suppose it was electrically safe, after all you can't plug it in, so it can't be dangerous as far as EAW goes...

 

[adam2]

On 8/5/2023 at 11:29 AM, J Pearce said:

To go further down the rabbit hole - is a fitting setup with a plug-in ceiling rose hardwired or on a plug?

I think that that the common types are called "luminaire supporting couplers" and not plugs and sockets, therefore not subject to pat testing.