I have been in contact with a company regarding PAT testing and asked the question "who can carry out PAT testing for me?" the company has an electrician on the books and the company has PAT testing equipment. I was always under the impression that there are no specific qualifications required to under take the PAT testing, rather that they must be carried out by competent person. I know there is a City & Guilds qualification available but if the tests are carried out by a qualified electrician they would fall under the category of a competent person, am I right in making this assumption? thanks Martin

It depends on risk. Don't overcomplicate this. PA testing can be a get rich scheme for testing companies. Even testing isnt always required. In regards to competence the HSE say this in relation to low risk environments...... Inspection: I have been told that I have to have an electrician do this. That is not necessary for the kind of equipment normally used in low-risk environments. Any sensible (competent) member of staff can do it if they have been given enough knowledge and training. What is enough knowledge and training? They need to know what to look at, what to look for and what to do, but more importantly they should be able to avoid danger to themselves or others. So, they should have basic electrical knowledge together with common sense, eg and if you do an inspection and test..... Does the combined inspection and test have to be carried out by an electrician? Not necessarily. A member of staff can do this if they have had suitable training. Greater knowledge and experience is needed than for inspection alone, and they need to have the right equipment to do the tests. They should know how to use the equipment correctly and how to interpret the results. http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg236.pdf