PAT. Visual Inspection Only

[hubsy]

Hi Guys,

I've found Blue PAT appliance labels.(on good old Ebay)

They say Passed, Visual Inspection Only, Electrical Safety Test.

I'm reading through the 4th edition, but has amyone else come across this type of label?

They have a retest box, but that is not required for the 4th edition.

 

[hazelm]

Hi Guys,

I've found Blue PAT appliance labels.(on good old Ebay)

They say Passed, Visual Inspection Only, Electrical Safety Test.

I'm reading through the 4th edition, but has amyone else come across this type of label?

They have a retest box, but that is not required for the 4th edition.

Not yet.

At this company, with 4,300 appliances and 1,000 unpaid volunteers, it is our "best practice" to include the retest date. It it is so easy for appliances not to be found then to turn up at a different location over a 40 mile railway.

 

[markc123]

A blue PAT sticker for visual only.

lol.

Zero point in that whatsoever.

 

[hubsy]

4th edition excludes retest date, forces viewing of test results register.
but I agree that retest date should be filled in.


But I'm asking about these Blue labels legality of use.

 

[markc123]

Like i said, i can't see a point in them...what is the point in having a sticker that says well done it doesn't look broken - especially when the T in PAT stands for testing. Just someone with a stupid idea trying to make a quick buck - avoid them like the plague.

 

[Darkwood]

Chocolate fireguard comes to mind :****:

I see they have edited the Emoticons and taken out the possible offensive lol did wonder how long they would be usable.

 

[monkeyelectric]

There's as much point in them as a handbrake in a canoe

 

[markc123]

Second that.

Blue PAT stickers are just like earthing...what's the point?

:38:

 

[Marnik]

Hawkesworth have been using "Visual only" stickers for years!! I've noticed these in my local Sainsbury's. Guess where? Yess the monitors and printers which are fed fronm PSU's, which of course are ELV and do not come under the scope of PAT. Money-making scam me thinks.

 

[oldtimer]

4th edition excludes retest date, forces viewing of test results register.
but I agree that retest date should be filled in.


But I'm asking about these Blue labels legality of use.

Watch what you are doing with the retest date I scratch through it and on the seaward seminar it was explained as some PAT abusing their position by marking a retest date so they are now saying the the person responsable for PAT should risk asses the environment to decide the retest period you may say that your retest date is advisory but you could be held legally responsable for going against the COP

 

[hazelm]

Watch what you are doing with the retest date I scratch through it and on the seaward seminar it was explained as some PAT abusing their position by marking a retest date so they are now saying the the person responsable for PAT should risk asses the environment to decide the retest period you may say that your retest date is advisory but you could be held legally responsable for going against the COP

The owner of the property is responsible for the frequency of all tests. However, as I am doing all 4,300 in house, that responsibility has been passed to me so we will continue to mark the retest date.

However, with regard to the blue colour stickers, the 4th edition just shows one green colour in the example. Therefore, should all stickers be green?

 

[UNG]

IMO a visual check should be done everyday by the person using the appliance they after all are their own safety officer. A full PATest should be carried out by a competent person at frequency deemed neccessary by the appliances use and abuse.

This whole thing of a company turning up and doing PAT testing and then making excuses for not completing the job properly and only doing visual inspections for whatever reason is totally wrong and is misleading for the customer

 

[Brightspark2]

However, as I am doing all 4,300 in house

I feel for you there...

I'd contemplate leaving if that was me...

 

[Risteard]

Like i said, i can't see a point in them...what is the point in having a sticker that says well done it doesn't look broken - especially when the T in PAT stands for testing. Just someone with a stupid idea trying to make a quick buck - avoid them like the plague.

But PAT is not an officially-recognised term. It is In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment. The inspection is the most important part of the process so I don't see anything wrong with labelling an item which does not require testing.

Having said that, although it is considered to be good practise, there is no requirement to apply labels to assets following so-called PAT Testing.

 

[jibjob]

I use green visual stickers on items that can't be electrically tested (earth continuity or IR) such as a class II item with no exposed conductive parts, a ceramic table lamp for instance. However, I'll check the fuse is of the correct rating, that the cable & appliance are not damaged in any way & carry out a functional check.
Never seen blue stickers before, only green. Oh & red of course

 

[Engineer54]

Visual inspection is a Part of the PAT testing sequence, NOT a replacement for PAT testing!!
Why would you not IR class 11 appliances like ceramic lamp holders?? The only test you can't perform is ''Earth Bond'', that is replaced by a Class 11 flash test. As far as i know, you only visually inspect casings and cords/plug tops for damage, everything else is to be tested!!

Complete waste of time, to only conduct a visual inspection, totally meaningless and a waste of paper and sticker!! lol!!

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Visual inspection is a Part of the PAT testing sequence, NOT a replacement for PAT testing!!
Why would you not IR class 11 appliances like ceramic lamp holders?? The only test you can't perform is ''Earth Bond'', that is replaced by a Class 11 flash test. As far as i know, you only visually inspect casings and cords/plug tops for damage, everything else is to be tested!!

Complete waste of time, to only conduct a visual inspection, totally meaningless and a waste of paper and sticker!! lol!![/QUOTE]

Not entirely correct. There are plenty of class 11 appliances that you can only do a visual inspection on. Phone chargers are an example. If a class 11 appliance is entirely plastic cased there is no point in IR testing it because the PAT tester carries out the test by joiniing L-N and testing to the earth pin.This is what the blue 'visual only' stickers are intended for.
If a class 11 appliance has exposed metal parts an IR test can be carried out with the auxillary probe on the metal part of the appliance to 'replace' the missing earth connection.
Another example might be computers,which are often undisturbed from year to year,if a computer is tested one year it would be perfectly reasonable to do a vis only the next.
Just because some abuse the vis only check does not mean it does not have a place in proper pat testing.

 

[Engineer54]

Visual inspection is a Part of the PAT testing sequence, NOT a replacement for PAT testing!!
Why would you not IR class 11 appliances like ceramic lamp holders?? The only test you can't perform is ''Earth Bond'', that is replaced by a Class 11 flash test. As far as i know, you only visually inspect casings and cords/plug tops for damage, everything else is to be tested!!

Complete waste of time, to only conduct a visual inspection, totally meaningless and a waste of paper and sticker!! lol!![/QUOTE]

Not entirely correct. There are plenty of class 11 appliances that you can only do a visual inspection on. Phone chargers are an example. If a class 11 appliance is entirely plastic cased there is no point in IR testing it because the PAT tester carries out the test by joiniing L-N and testing to the earth pin.This is what the blue 'visual only' stickers are intended for.
If a class 11 appliance has exposed metal parts an IR test can be carried out with the auxillary probe on the metal part of the appliance to 'replace' the missing earth connection.
Another example might be computers,which are often undisturbed from year to year,if a computer is tested one year it would be perfectly reasonable to do a vis only the next.
Just because some abuse the vis only check does not mean it does not have a place in proper pat testing.

Yes agree, with your comments, on some class 11 appliances, but with many of the appliances on the computer side of things, a low current earth bond test is available on most PAT testers. As far as class 11 ceramic table lamps and the like are concerned an IR L-N test can be performed with a standard IR tester. Not sure if anyone would try and PAT test a phone charger though!! Hmm, thinking about it, i dunno though!! ...lol!!!

 

[UNG]

Why on earth would you pay someone to put a sticker on a phone charger whoever is using it will see whether it is damaged or not. This visual inspection is a money making cop out to protect idiots

 

[jibjob]

Yes agree, with your comments, on some class 11 appliances, but with many of the appliances on the computer side of things, a low current earth bond test is available on most PAT testers. As far as class 11 ceramic table lamps and the like are concerned an IR L-N test can be performed with a standard IR tester. Not sure if anyone would try and PAT test a phone charger though!! Hmm, thinking about it, i dunno though!! ...lol!!!

Agreed, I actually thought that after I'd posted :blush5: