PAT Testing News Round-Up - Issue 39

• Seaward PAT twitter promotion
• Tragic fire linked to electrical appliance safety
• Seaward at Elex Sandown
• Further warnings on fake phone chargers
• Specialist PAT training at your fingertips
• Blanket testing reveals safety risks

Seaward PAT twitter promotion

Are you a fan of social media? Are you one of the ‘twitterati’? If so, you have the chance to win a Seaward PrimeTest 100 PAT tester and PAT Mobile App.

To enter, simply follow @SeawardPAT on twitter and post the following tweet: #WIN a Seaward #PrimeTest 100 PAT Tester worth over £300. Follow @SeawardPAT & retweet to enter.

The PrimeTest 100 carries out the fast and effective safety checking of all types of Class I and Class II portable electrical equipment. A large LCD gives a clear pass or fail indication, as well as test values. The versatile tester also carries out IEC lead polarity tests and checks the socket is wired correctly.

Alongside the PrimeTest 100 we are also giving away a powerful new PATMobile app that converts the manual PATs into a semi-automatic tester, by allowing the digital input and storage of test records alongside barcode scanning, label printing, photo tagging and other complementary test functions.

For full details visit www.seaward.co.uk/win-a-primetest-100

Tragic fire linked to electrical appliance safety

The latest warning about the fire risks posed by electrical appliances comes from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service after a domestic fire claimed the lives of two people in Llanrwst in early October.

Investigations have determined that the most likely cause that can be attributed to the fire is it started in a tumble dryer and the matter is now subject to a Coroner's inquest.

Gary Brandrick, Senior Fire Safety Manager, said: "Electrical fires present a real risk to homeowners, often resulting in significant damage to property and sadly sometimes with tragic consequences as we saw in Llanrwst.

"We attend around 470 accidental fires in dwellings each year and electricity or electrical items are responsible for over 300 of these fires.

"It's important to operate appliances according to the manufacturers' instructions and to check electrical items and leads for signs of damage or wear. So many residents without realising the risk use old or dangerous electrical items and overload their sockets, causing a potentially fatal fire risk.”

Full story at http://www.newswales.co.uk/

Seaward at Elex Sandown

Seaward will be demonstrating its latest electrical safety testing instrumentation at the Elex Sandown show on 6 and 7 November.

Visitors to the company's stand will be able to check out the outstanding value for money Limited Edition PowerTest 1557 17th Edition test kit that features a multi-function electrical installation tester alongside a host of added extras.

For those involved in PAT testing, there will be the chance to demo the new Apollo series and PrimeTest 250+ testers as well as the new PATMobile app – and pick up your FREE guide to PAT testing while you're there.

More details at www.seaward.co.uk/events

Further warnings on fake phone chargers

Trading standards officers in Scotland have issued a warning to beware of fake phone chargers that may explode.

Officers say two of the chargers have been bought in the north east of Scotland, with one “blowing up in a puff of white smoke” in Banff. Users are now being asked to check any non-branded phone chargers they own which could belong to the faulty series.

A spokesman for trading standards in Scotland said: “One of these chargers was bought in Banff and when it was plugged into the device there was a white flash, loud bang and the back of the charger blew off.

“The charger is a USB type and has the serial number A1299. If this model is found, stop using it immediately and return it to the retailer.”

The same safety message was also repeated in South Tyneside where residents have been warned about the dangers of using poor quality or look-a-like mobile phone chargers after a number of incidents.

South Tyneside's Trading Standards team has been investigating several complaints from people about cheap replacement chargers starting to smoke or causing electric shocks. In some cases, chargers have exploded.

Specialist PAT training at your fingertips

Seaward has launched a new online training resource providing direct access to dedicated training courses for users of its market leading PAT product range.

The new Seaward Training Portal provides immediate and convenient access to a wide range of training courses that are designed to improve the knowledge and competency of those involved in PAT testing.

As well as user guidance on specific Seaward products, the informative courses include a more general introduction to PAT and detailed advice on the IET Code of Practice. All candidates will receive a certificate of completion.

To mark the launch of the new portal, special introductory prices are available for specialist courses on the Seaward PrimeTest50 and PrimeTest 100 testers, as well as the more general PAT Testing to the 4th Edition of the IET Code of Practice programme.

Full details at www.seaward.co.uk/training.

Blanket testing reveals safety risks

In Grimsby, local trading standards officers have carried out special checks on electric blankets to warn people of the potential hazards.

Electricians were on hand to carry out free checks on blankets at an older people’s awareness event organised by Age UK.

Visitors were shocked to find that over one in four blankets failed the series of tests as a result of faulty control units, loose electrical connections and no overheating protection. The failure rate was a slight increase on last year, when 22% of those blankets tested failed.

The tests were carried out by Lincs Electrical Services. One of the company’s electricians said: "We have set checks that we carry out and we pick up all sorts of problems with leads and fuses. The biggest one is the element as we have to make sure there's no crossover which causes heat spots. Things can also erode causing short circuits.”

Neil Clark, community protection manager responsible for Trading Standards at North East Lincolnshire Council, echoed the safety warning. He said: "People are sleeping with killers so this testing is to highlight any problems which have arisen.

"We know that electric blankets cause around 5,000 fires a year, with some of those being fatal."

Full story at: http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/

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