Hi,

Wonder if you could help me?

Just reviewing our training an competence requirements, and noted that we do PAT Testing in house. When I asked the question 'has the person done a separate PAT Test course' the answer was no. They assumed that having a 17Th edition qualification would be sufficient. 

Gut feel is that this is wrong. Internet searches are proving inconclusive.

Thoughts?

Many thanks in anticipation for your help.

And here we go again - no piece of paper must equal no competence

In the Electricty Regulations it states the person MUST be competent, then as you have discovered from Mr Internet there is actually no stipulated level of competence in this field whether by time-served or qualification

All users of electrical equipment in the work place are meant to undertake a rudimentary examination pre-use (broken/cracked plug, split cable insulation, exposed cores etc.) do you really want to pay some training organisation a fortune just for a piece of paper stating the employee knows "how to look"?

If your site spark is current with their 17th Edition training I would have no hesitation in considering them competent in conducting PAT - after all nowadays modern equipment for such purposes is relativley idiot proof (even this H&S bod can manage to operate the test unit we have at site).

As Roundtuit has stated, assuming that your qualified elecrician has a) the right equipment to do the tests b) the ability to use the test equipment properly and c) the ability to properly understand the test results then there is no legal reason why they need to undergo separate PAT testing training.  I would assume that a 17th Edition qualified "sparky" would possess this knowledge.

Don't forget that PAT testing itself isn't even a legal requirement. The Electricity at Work Regulations require that any electrical equipment that has the potential to cause injury is maintained in a safe condition, and PAT testing is simply one way of doing this (and proving it). 

Often PAT testing is only carried out to satisfy insurers that all has been done that needs to be done in regard to the EWR.

Stop right there.

A 17th/18th edition qualification does not teach ANY electrical competence, it is basically 60 multi choice questions on a British Standard, open book, all the answers are in the book.

ALL it teaches is the person to find information in a book.

It is NOT a measure of electrical competence, realise this.

A fully trained, apprenticeship served electrician would not need to undertake a PAT course, but, they may learn something if they did.

Remember also, that not all Electricians are trained equally.  There are "fast track" courses that do not teach adequate science and theory for a person who has done this course to deviate away from the tasks that they have been trained for.

Please all of you, get it out of your heads that a 17th/18th edition course makes an electrican that is simply rubbish, it does NOT.

Same way a NEBOSH qualification doesn't make for a competent H&S professional? ;-)