New to PAT Testing

[martinbebb]

Hi. I have just become a PAT tester. I'm new to the business and also using forums. Wanted to just see if there is an advise or wisdom that could be passed on. I have my potential first customer with 300+ items and would like to do my do diligence.
Took the course to as to my CV, but the current job I have is quite flexible so I can squeeze some more work in.

 

[Deleted member 105166]

Hi Martin, welcome to the forum. First customer with 300 or so items, that’s a biggie. Before you go on site, find out what types of items you will be testing and in what environment. This can vary greatly, e.g. we do mostly entertainment industry testing, which is generally all in one place, whereas testing offices or hotel bedrooms is the opposite of that. You may be testing all BS1363 13A stuff, but you may also come across other connectors, so find out in advance and make up short jumpers to cover everything you may encounter. The various moulded IEC320 adaptors you can buy for a few quid on eBay are useful to have. Find out if there’s fixed appliances you’ll be expected to test under ISITEE. If you’re going to be testing plugtop RCD adaptors, get an isolation transformer, so you don’t trip upstream RCDs/RCBOs. There’s a few ideas for starters.

 

[Moley]

Hi Martin
As Tony has already said, make sure you have all the adapters that you need. Knock up an assortment of plug/socket combinations as you can be sure you'll find something that wont plug directly into your tester. Also spend a few quid and get something like 4 pcs PAT Testing Adaptor Convertor Kit test IEC Leads C14 C7 C6 C13 C5 C8 | eBay - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-pcs-PAT-Testing-Adaptor-Convertor-Kit-test-IEC-Leads-C14-C7-C6-C13-C5-C8/152989216152?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649 and I can recommend these stickers :- Write and Seal 4th Edition Passed PAT Test Labels for PAT Testing | eBay - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Write-and-Seal-4th-Edition-Passed-PAT-Test-Labels-for-PAT-Testing/251698280947?var=550607625934&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20170920101022%26meid%3Df4014848f33945598c953285be616509%26pid%3D100010%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D251698255094%26itm%3D550607625934&_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109
What model tester have you gone for?

 

[ruston]

Best piece of advice I would give you is charge a decent price, get a Tester with bluetooth software that records and stores all the items and customer details for their records . Also a barcode item printer and scanner will save your loads of time on you repeat visits and will automatically update to the items list for your customer records.

 

[Deleted member 105166]

One important thing I forgot to add, where an appliance is fitted with a detachable lead, test and list the appliance and the lead as separate items.

 

[ruston]

Oh , and take some bromide before you go to work under office desks.

 

[martinbebb]

Thanks for that. It is a doctors surgery, so you know the environment I'll be going to.
I have put myself together a kit. I have a seaward 100 pat tester. I bought a thermal bar code printer to make my return visits easier. I purchase a 5 piece adapter for my IEC lead. I purchased a kewtech kamp12 4mm mains test lead 13a plug adaptor and test probes and crockadile clips which I bought for testing my cooker. I've purchased seaward 110 adapters 16a and 32a which I've purchased for testing construction tools when I get a job. I've purchased BS 1363 plugs, fuses, some ext leads. So I can offer a replacement of one is needed.
The first thing I questioned was the ECG machine which was covered with both PAT testing stickers and Williams medical stickers. I looked on Williams medical website and they pat test aswell as calibrate and there sticker indicates that they come out once a year. I contacted the Pat tester to ask if they PAT tested in accordance with IEC 62353 or 60601 and the person who answered the phone said hymn Im not sure. To sum that up. I'll be telling the manager to stick with Williams Medical for this, along with any Medical equipment that falls out of the scope of COP 4th Edition.
I have also bought a copy of the IEC COP 4th Edition which I'm making my way through. Surprised the course I did didn't supply this as it appears as it's the go to book in this business.
The training course I went on was good and they answer any email I send. I had a fail on my washer dryer for the leakage test. Results were 3.74ma. They answered back that on the Seward blog it says that as the leakage test is optional an allowance of 10% can be allowed. So I was happy with that quick help out.
In the surgery that I will be working there are no stickers on the hand dryers. This surprised me as I'd say they fall under the scope of PAT testing.
You've both sent me slot of help and I thank you for your fast answers. I'll have a good look at what you've wrote and research it. Thanks again.

 

[ruston]

You were very lucky to pass the exam without the COP. It had some snide questions in it.

 

[Deleted member 105166]

You were very lucky to pass the exam without the COP. It had some snide questions in it.

There must have been training centre copies available for the course and the exam, surely?

 

[martinbebb]

They supplied us with all the information relavent to the written and practical test. It just wasn't the official COP

 

[Deleted member 105166]

Did you sit the C&G 2377-22 exam, Martin?

 

[martinbebb]

I sat a 50 question multiple choice exam, and demonstrated on 5 different appliances. My certificate doesn't say C&G 2377-22 on it. Just that it is based on the COP 4th addition

 

[Rpa07]

You sound fired up and ready to go - good on you.
My advice, take some sandwiches and a drink and try not to comfort eat because it’s so boring - I can take one afternoon of it then I’m done!
Seriously, all the best with it. You sound prepared and professional.

 

[mhar]

Why this thing about stickers? You are not obliged to put stickers everywhere and they are easily abused. I sometimes have to do appliances in holiday homes and I provide them with an appliance register and a detailed pass and fails schedule as per the code of practice. I print these out so that they can be displayed somewhere on the premises for those interested.

 

[cliffed]

I sat a 50 question multiple choice exam, and demonstrated on 5 different appliances. My certificate doesn't say C&G 2377-22 on it. Just that it is based on the COP 4th addition

I did this years ago,on a course for 6 weeks,can you believe that

 

[Moley]

Why this thing about stickers? You are not obliged to put stickers everywhere and they are easily abused.

I suppose it depends on the environment. I only do 'in house' testing of all the equipment on the guys vans. A lot of the sites we work at insist on visible stickers.

 

[Moley]

Martin, do you know that there's another MB Pat Testing local(ish) to you. They are over in Bristol. Could get confusing for people looking you or them up

 

[Pete999]

I did this years ago,on a course for 6 weeks,can you believe that

That's 6 weeks you'll never get back then Mate, 6 weeks Crikey

 

[Moley]

Hmmm......6 weeks twice? So you'll not get the 12 weeks back?

 

[cliffed]

That's 6 weeks you'll never get back then Mate, 6 weeks Crikey

Yea,it was so boring..