The great pat testing scam

[alarm man]

One last comment, I wish that people would use the term Engineer correctly.

Some of us have studied long & hard for our qualifications, and I have spent more time studying at under & post graduate level than that required for a Medical Doctorate.

I have had my qualifications, experience and competence independently assessed by strangers to get my professional recognition.

Yet someone who has done 1/2 a days training can title themselves Engineer.

One of the best things that Europe could ever do is to make the title Engineer protected in law across Europe as it is in some European countries and other countries around the world.

Please if you are not registered as a Professional Engineer, don't try to be something you are not, because you will be found out oh so easily and this will just discredit yourself and your employer.

totally agree paul,my job title is security engineer,im not an engineer never will be,im an alarm man/sparky and always will be,the term engineer is being devalued across many trades..imo

 

[jaresquire]

Wasn't Casey Jones an Engineer?

 

[netblindpaul]

Ironically jaresquire,
The US is now one of the territories where the title Engineer is protected!

 

[jaresquire]

Fair play!

 

[UNG]

Does this mean we can't engineer a solution to a problem without proper qualification as an engineer ?

 

[longshanks]

Just had some testers in the offices today and i reckon there is about 300 - 350 appliances to check, they came in and said they have agreed to do visuals on iT stuff, so left em to it and observed now and then, It took them 45 mins to complete and not once did they check the cables or appliances (some of the locations were a nightmare to get to but accesable.they just took the old labels off and then sat around playing with their machines put another lable on then off to the next one.I have never seen this, I MUST NOT SWEAR, approach to this like this before and totally amazed about it.I can't mention where i work but the contract they have is massive and if they do testing !!!!! this quick they must make a fortune.Time to inform somebody i think

 

[wildgoose]

Really liked the 1st letter by Wirepuller. It is so true what you said!

Just to add my 10 pennyworth. I was recently told in no uncertain terms by a secretary in a legal firm, that my quote was far too expensive and inferred I was out to rip them off. There were 150 items on the list to be tested "plus a few new ones scattered around the offices" so that probably means a total of over 170 items.

She told me that a specialist PAT Testing Company had quoted the job at just over 50% of my quote. The ENGINEER told her he would be able to complete all the work in a day and he would be working on his own.

This clever little self important legal secretary, obviously puts financial gain over their safety. When will legistlation catch up with the PAT label sticking cowboys out there??

 

[UNG]

This clever little self important legal secretary, obviously puts financial gain over their safety. When will legistlation catch up with the PAT label sticking cowboys out there??

May be she has a good lawyer that can get her off any charges that may result from going for the cheaper option

 

[i=p/u]

at the end of the day its for employers to do as much resonaly practable to protect their employees and if having that certificate from 1 day course engineer of pat testing.. ands its good value to them, they are going to take it..

 

[meddy]

I woulden't let Chopper test a class 2he can't even spell lol

 

[Dave 85]

Personally I charge £5 per item for PAT testing and I'm thinking of putting that up next time someone asks.
Why? Because I HATE it. Its the most boring mundane task in the world and personally one, I think, that an electrician is totally wasted on . Its a task that has to be repeated probably billions of times a year in this country, its perfectly simple to anyone with a days training, if someone wants to just label everything, they gonna do that whatever quals they got. Why would any electrician worth their salt actually want this kind of work?

I also think its largely a waste of time in many circumstances...I mean how many people have actually been killed by computers? Of course old electrical equipment liable to damage can become dangerous and should be monitered somehow but I'd say the vast majority of stuff subject to PAT testing will never become dangerous in its working lifetime.

Personally I'd say do away with forced PAT testing alltogether and bring back common sense and survival of the fittest.....

 

[SparkyJoe]

survival of the fittest.....

yeah sod the kids ;/

 

[Dave 85]

survival of the fittest.....

yeah sod the kids ;/

Exactly...All they ever do is laze about, smoke drugs and trash the capital from time to time....who needs em

 

[Philpot]

I have just read my copy of IET Wiring Matters Issue 43. There is a very interesting article about PAT testing. It references HSE INDG231 ( Google it and read) It looks to me like the death nell of PAT testing as we know it. No more every year, no more PAT test everything, no more need for lists. Everything is to be "risk assessed" if it doesn't need testing then a visual inspection is all that is needed. Will the customers ever find out?

Philpot

 

[Dave 85]

I have just read my copy of IET Wiring Matters Issue 43. There is a very interesting article about PAT testing. It references HSE INDG231 ( Google it and read) It looks to me like the death nell of PAT testing as we know it. No more every year, no more PAT test everything, no more need for lists. Everything is to be "risk assessed" if it doesn't need testing then a visual inspection is all that is needed. Will the customers ever find out?

Philpot

Sounds very sensible

 

[topcat]

All sounds good but the HSE can say what they like if your insurace say you have to have it PAT tested are you going to take the risk of not been covered by them

 

[Philpot]

That is true but I'm not sure that many Insurance Co's are interested in rewriting the HSA recommendations. The HSA are after all the official word on safety. Mind you it is as well to watch the "small print".
It does seem unnecessary to treat a engineering factory floor and a hotel room as having the same risk.

It won't stop the cold callers tell the public that everything must be PAT tested every year.

 

[Guest111]

Had a good friend of mine ring me up last year and tell me that the E H O had been to his business and was not happy that stuff was not pat tested andthen came the question "I know youve got a lot on your plate at the minute but could you get me some of them green stickers and fill them in so I can stick em on my machines?" Needless to say we are not such good friends anymore!

 

[PASS Ltd]

Pat Testing labels on filing cabinets is the best thing that i have seen so far. Must find that in the code of practice.......

 

[moospark]

I've seen lots of desks equipotential, so maybe?