PAT testing Newport
Newport earns its keep as one of South Wales's main commercial and distribution centres. Sat right by the M4 and the Severn crossings, it's a natural base for the big warehouses and logistics sheds out at places like Imperial Park and Queensway Meadows, the business and office parks, the city-centre shops around Friars Walk, and the conference and hospitality trade out towards the Coldra. Everywhere you look there's electrical equipment that has to be kept safe, and portable appliance testing (PAT) is the simple way to do it. PreventaShock handles it for businesses right across the city.
We fit the testing around the way you operate, so it's done without holding up a shift, a delivery run or a busy trading day.
What's involved
It's a two-part job, quick for most items. First, a visual inspection of the plug, the cable and the casing, the stage that picks up the majority of faults, from cracked housings and frayed leads to scorch marks and rough repairs. Second, for the items that need it, an electrical test to check the parts you can't see, such as earthing and insulation.
Everything that passes is labelled and logged, and you're left with a clear record of what was tested and when, exactly what an insurer, an auditor or a health-and-safety officer will want to see.
What the law actually requires
It's a common belief that PAT testing is a legal must on a yearly cycle. It isn't. No law names PAT testing, and none sets a fixed interval. The duty comes from the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, which require electrical equipment capable of causing injury to be kept in a safe condition. PAT testing is just the recognised way of demonstrating you're meeting it.
The Health and Safety Executive favours a risk-based approach over routine blanket testing, and its guidance on maintaining portable electrical equipment sets out suggested intervals for different equipment and environments.
How often you'll need it
It depends on the equipment and how hard it's worked. Battery chargers, tools and machinery in a Newport distribution centre take far more wear than the laptops and printers in an office, so they're checked more often. Kitchens in busy bars and restaurants, with kit running flat out, sit somewhere between. We'll help you settle on a schedule that matches how your site actually runs, rather than testing everything on the same date out of habit.
Who we test for in Newport
Our work spans the full Newport mix, warehouses, distribution and logistics sites, manufacturing and industrial units, offices and business parks, city-centre and retail-park shops, hotels, bars, cafés and restaurants, schools, nurseries and care homes. From a single premises to a large multi-site operation with hundreds of appliances, the standard holds: thorough, properly documented, and as unobtrusive as we can make it.
Getting booked in
For a quote, or just a chat about what your premises needs, get in touch and we'll arrange a time that works for you.
Related PreventaPest service: View our main commercial PAT testing service.
