I'm going to be taking over the management of visual inspection and testing of our portable electrical equipment in our organisation and I'm trying to gain a bit more of an understanding of what's actually required. I'm fully aware that not every piece of piece of equipment needs to be given a PAT every year and that in many cases a visual inspection may be suffice however my question does relate specifically to the mechanics of carrying out a test on an appliance and I am hoping that someone can answer my query. If we take a piece of equipment (e.g. Laptop Computer) which operates through an IEC Power Lead, you obviously need to use the IEC lead to enable you to test the laptop but should you then test the lead on its own if it is only used as a power source for that one piece of equipment?

I would not do a full electrical test on a laptop itself. Visual inspection only, and it could be argued that it is a battery or ELV powered device anyway, so would not come under the IET CoP for ISITEE, which IIRC is even considered excessive by the HSE. I've lent my CoP out, so I am working from memory & I don't do enough PAT work as the money is rubbish, people want it done for nothing & generally don't care about the quality of the work they get, so it's not worth doing. Anyway, the lead is one item, the charger is another item, they both should have separate records IMHO, as they are both subjected to mains voltages. I would second the do the course thing, but do the C&C or EAL course, the C&G do two flavours, the management of, and the undertaking of. I would recommend both, however, IF you are only managing then you could probably get away with the management course, if you are only going to be doing the testing, then you could probably get away with the undertaking of course. C&G course numbers 2377-11 & -12.

You will damage the lap top/destroy the electrical components if you do a full electical test e.g. insulation test. It is simply not required. The voltages inside a laptop are not dangerous. Even with a 3yr old and completing NEBOSH at the moment - a 1 or 2 day PAT course is attendance only, done duing works time - so don't see it giving you more work etc. You would go to work anyway!!

It's extremely doubtful you'd do any damage to the laptop with an insulation resistance test. A full whack, 25A earth bond test (if the PSU is Class I) *might* have some adverse effects, but anyone using that on any sort of IT equipment (rather than the 'soft' version) is asking for trouble anyway. This is correct. As Paul mentions earlier, the actual laptop will be powered via either battery, or ELV (extra low voltage) from its charger/power supply unit. ELV is anything less than 50V ac or 120V dc. The only appliances that should attract the electrical tests that form part of a 'PAT' test are ones that are powered by 230V ac mains. So the IEC power cord, and the charger/PSU could both be happily tested, but not the laptop itself. However, it would still be a good idea to visually inspect the laptop, I'd say.