To allow full compliance with Health and Safety guidelines, the test programme will include regular inspection of all relevant electrical appliances, covering electrical safety testing, labelling and appropriate repairs.

Additionally, records of inspections will be maintained, offering fully documented results and details of re-test requirements.

All appliances will be tested in situ, preferably out of office hours in order to avoid disruption to staff and the working area.

Tests will be carried out on all Standard Single Phase Equipment (13A Plug). VDU monitors and disk drive units will be treated and tested as separate items, since these are often interchangeable.

All power leads and extension leads are considered as separate appliances, to be tested, logged and recorded individually. It should be noted that effective testing of leads may require tests inappropriate to the actual appliance it supplies.

Tests on leads/detachable power cords will cover:

• Continuity of phase, neutral and earth conductors
• Polarity test
• Insulation resistance of phase conductor to neutral and earth conductors
• Insulation resistance between phase and neutral conductors connected to the protective conductor.

Additionally, spare leads held in storage should be tested at similar intervals, but logged separately.

Testing will conform to BSI approval tests as follows:-

• BS 3456 General Household
• BS 2769 Hand Held Appliances
• BS 7002 Information Technology Equipment
• BS 5415 Industrial

and categorised as follows:-

• Class 1 Tests - Appliances depending on a safety earth connection.
• CLlass 11 Tests - Appliances depending on double or reinforced insulation.

An initial visual inspection of the appliance covers the condition and current rating off the mains cable, condition of the appliance casing and a check on the plug, fuse and wiring.

Specific checks for the two classes are as follows:-

CLASS 1 TESTS

• To verify the integrity of the protective conductor (earth) and every user accessible conductive part that is intended to be electrically connected to earth. Parameters : With a current of at least 1.5 times the rated value, and a voltage of 6V, the earth impedance must be between O.1 and 0.25 Ohms (depending upon supply cable length and current rating).
• To verify the integrity of electrical insulation. Parameters : With Live and Neutral conductors short circuit, and a voltage of 500V applied between them and earth, the insulation resistance should not be less than 2 Meg. Ohms.
• To verify dielectric strength (applicable equipment only). Parameters : With Live and Neutral conductors short circuit, and a voltage of 1.5 Kv applied between them and earth, a current of no more than 3mA should flow.
• Check for low impedance between Live and Neutral*.
• Check for reasonable operating current*.
• Measurement of total leakage current to earth*. Parameters : Current flowing between Live and/or Neutral to earth, under normal operating conditions.

*These tests are not mandatory, but will be carried out as part of the normal procedure.

NOTE:-

• It is possible for Class 1 Equipment to have no conductive parts accessible to the operator, or that such parts are separated by double/reinforced insulation from parts at hazardous voltage. In this case, no test is specified.
• Business equipment is unusual in that the following conditions may exist at accessible conductive parts:-
  • the parts are not earthed for safety reasons because they are separated from parts at hazardous voltage by double or reinforced insulation or earthed metal screens;
  • the parts are separated from parts at hazardous voltage as in (a) but are earthed for electro-magnetic compatibility (EMC) or functional purposes – in this case a high-current test may damage the equipment.
  • the parts are associated with an internal circuit rated and fused at much less than the plug fuse – the protective earthing conductor within the equipment may be adequate for its purpose, but may be damaged or even open-circuited by a high-current test.

CLASS 11 TESTS

• To verify the integrity of electrical insulation. Parameters : With Live and Neutral conductors short circuit, and a voltage of 500V applied between them and the test probe, the insulation resistance should be not less than 2 Meg. Ohms.
• To verify dielectric strength. Parameters : With Live and Neutral conductors short circuit, and a voltage of 3 Kv applied between them and the test probe, a current of no more than 3mA should flow.
• Check for low impedance between Live and Neutral*.
• Check for reasonable operating current*.
• Measurement of total leakage current to earth. Parameters : Current flowing between Live and/or Neutral to earth (using Equivalent earth connections), under normal operating conditions.

*These tests are not mandatory, but will be carried out as part of the normal procedure.

It is a condition of this service that before any item of equipment is made available for PAT testing by Tabs FM Ltd., the client will "Satisfy himself or herself that it is in such condition that no harm will come to any person nor to his data, system or system operation either during or after our service is performed."

The appliance is fully checked and logged, with the exception of the actual test, in the same way as for a full P.A.T. test.

In detail, this means that all the following information will be logged:-

• location
• make, model
• electrical class
• condition of appliance and plug top
• fuse rating

All terminals/anchorages will be checked and secured.

We carry a supply of IT leads. If we find any damaged leads, these are replaced and the faulty lead disposed of.

We will also ensure leads are not being trapped and damaged.

All appliances tested will carry a bar coded label, which will enable logging of the following information:-

• type of appliance
• location of appliance
• year and month of testing

Periodic Labels will confirm that the particular appliance has been passed as safe and fit for use.

Labels will be affixed to each appliance and lead, in a position to be specified by client.

Any appliance failing to comply with test standards will carry a red "DO NOT USE" label.

Following testing of equipment via the bar code reader, all information is retained on a database for further reference, effectively producing an equipment register. Additionally, a hard copy detailing all equipment, test results and other relevant information is available.

Tabs System clients also have the option to have this information imported into thier Tabs System.

Health and Safety has always been of paramount importance to our company. This type of testing will minimise the risks to employees using electrical equipment. We feel that compliance with the Regulations at the earliest opportunity is vital, if standards are to not only be maintained, but also improved.

This system is reliant on each appliance and location within the clients premises being identified by a unique bar coded label.

Locations can be identified either on a building plan or by labels physically attached to each specified area.

Initial swiping of the bar code will advise the system of the appliances location, following which the appliance bar code is swiped. This will prompt a display detailing a brief description of the appliance, the last test date and results.

If the engineer encounters an unlabelled appliance, one is affixed and swiped. This prompts him to enter a description, together with any serial number, plus class of the appliance (1 or 2).

The engineer is then prompted to carry out a visual inspection, logging the results via a bar code on the logger control menu, followed by the metered tests. The results are entered via the numeric key pad on the logger.

If any appliance should fail at any stage of the testing, this is logged and a repair or replace action prompted.

Where the results of all the tests fail within the pass band, the system displays the completed test results.

Upon completion, the logger is connected to a P.C. running the TABS software. Data is automatically transferred to the portable appliance testing database.