PAT Testing News Round-Up - Issue 57

This issue covers:

Substitute your old PAT tester and score up to £101 cashback

Seaward’s special end of season PAT transfer deal means that when you show your old tester the red card, you can boost the productivity, performance and profit of your PAT team in the field.

Until the end of May, PAT customers can claim a generous cashback bonus when they substitute their old appliance tester with a new one from Seaward.

The special trade-in deal means anyone buying a new tester from the star studded Seaward Apollo or PrimeTest PAT line up, via an official distributor, automatically qualifies for a generous cashback payment when their old PAT tester of any make or model is retired and returned.

The part exchange also comes with a hat trick of other benefits in the shape of a two-year manufacturer’s warranty, free 30 day software trial and calibration certificate.

Seaward’s market leading PAT range has a tester to meet all needs, from simple to operate pass/fail instruments for fundamental safety checks to more advanced models with comprehensive PAT test benefits including downloading capabilities, Bluetooth connectivity and other special features.

In addition‚ the comprehensive series of testers is supported by a full range of PAT accessories for effective all round portable appliance testing solutions. To sign up for the cashback offer, visit www.seaward.co.uk/tradein

The dangers of faulty appliances - the debate continues

Safety charity, Electrical Safety First, is delighted the Government has acknowledged the importance of its campaign against dangerous electrical items highlighted by media headlines around damage caused by white goods such as tumble-dryers and gadgets such as hoverboards.

At a recent Westminster Hall debate in London, MPs discussed not only the flood of fakes entering the UK – particularly through online outlets - but also the issue of substandard items.

Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills, Nick Bowles MP, agreed that more needs to be done to protect consumers and that a review into how Trading Standards can address this issue was being undertaken by his department.

Research by Electrical Safety First found that a quarter of the population have knowingly bought a counterfeit item and a third would consider doing so, if it saved money or if they saw no difference to the genuine article. And the situation is worsening due to the rapid growth in fakes available via social media, where sales of counterfeit items increased by 15% in 2014 – 2015 alone.

Carolyn Harris, MP for Swansea East, who arranged the Westminster Hall debate and whose constituent, Linda Merron, died in a fire caused by a faulty air purifier bought on eBay, highlighted not only the prevalence and danger of counterfeit goods but also the problem of substandard components in electrical items.

The UK market for fake goods has been conservatively estimated at £1.3 billion. More at www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk.

Guide to electrical safety for landlords

A useful summary on the safety responsibilities of landlords of rented properties warns that electrical safety is not something that can be ignored or complacent about.

The guidance provided here reminds rental property owners that PAT checks are required on appliances provided by the landlord, but not those belonging to the tenant. In addition, anything that is not permanently connected to the electrical installation should be on a PAT report.

The guide warns that landlords risk putting themselves at serious financial risk if they fail to act on their electrical obligations, in the form of fines and invalidated insurance. In addition, landlords could also face serious trouble if an electrical-based accident occurred in one of their rental properties.

According to charity, Electrical Safety First, last year 16% of private rented sector PRS tenants experienced electrical hazards and this figure increases to 20% for those with children. One person each week in Great Britain is killed in an electrical fire and more than a quarter of a million (350,000) each year, are injured as the result of an electric shock, with research suggesting private tenants are more likely to be affected.

These are considerably higher figures than those fatalities and accidents caused by gas and carbon monoxide poisoning, yet landlords have had to provide annual gas safety certificates for some years now and recent legislation has made CO2 alarms obligatory.

Top marks for Apollo tester at famous Oxford College

An integrated electrical testing package from Seaward is helping an historic Oxford college ensure the safety of all on-site electrical appliances used by students and visitors.

As part of a preventative maintenance programme, Pembroke College is meeting its health and safety obligations by using advanced test technology in the shape of the Seaward Apollo 600 supported by specialist PATGuard 3 Elite test management software.

The college has around 600 students and also hosts regular conferences and special events in its prestigious buildings. Around 3,000 appliances are tested each year including the full range of IT, office, audio visual and kitchen appliances, as well as light industrial equipment and power tools used in the college’s workshops.

The integrated PAT system not only means that an equipment register with test records can be created and updated automatically, but that all work can be planned and co-ordinated effectively, enabling appliance testing to be carried out as part of a methodical and ongoing maintenance programme.

Tim Walker, maintenance supervisor at Pembroke College, said: “There is a wide variety of appliances and electrical equipment in use and items can be moved around, so it is essential to be able track and identify equipment to ensure that everything is regularly tested.

“The combination of lightweight and battery powered testing, alongside the test and tag printer, gives us the maximum portability, speed and versatility we need to achieve this and ensure an electrically safe working environment for all our college users.”

The Apollo 600 PAT tester and PATGuard3 programme forms part of Seaward’s comprehensive range of portable appliance test instrumentation, software, accessories and training packages.

Heaters posed electrical safety test

A company has been fined after admitting supplying heaters that failed eight safety tests, following an investigation by Trading Standards.

The court heard how Northamptonshire County Council’s Trading Standards bought two of the halogen heaters from a shop in Kingsthorpe for £9.99 each in January 2015 after receiving a complaint from a consumer.

Subsequent safety tests found the heaters failed in eight areas, including protection from live electrical parts as well as resistance to heat and fire.

A product safety recall was issued in April last year but the heaters remained on sale. The supplier of the heaters admitted two offences relating to the safety and description of the product and was fined £5,000 as well as being ordered to pay costs totalling £1,800.

Over 300 different electrical products have been recalled in the UK in the last five years. Faulty appliances alone cause £41.6million of damage in the UK every year and around 46 deaths are caused annually by electrical fires. The full story is reported here