PAT Testing Course
Sheffield

The first module lays the groundwork for everything you'll do throughout the day. You'll discover precisely what Portable Appliance Testing involves, why it exists and how it sits within an organisation's broader electrical safety arrangements. Key industry terminology is introduced clearly so that every subsequent module feels accessible from the outset.

You'll also get to grips with the categories of electrical equipment you'll regularly encounter — portable, movable, hand-held, stationary, fixed and IT equipment — as well as the three equipment classes (Class I, Class II and Class III) that govern how an appliance is protected from electric shock. Grasping these distinctions early is vital, because an appliance's class directly determines which tests must be applied.

Before you handle any testing instrument, you need a clear picture of the hazards you're managing. This module explains the mechanisms by which electricity causes injury and death — electric shock, burns and fire — and the conditions that make defective equipment a genuine danger in the workplace.

The module then maps out the legislative framework underpinning PAT testing across the UK. You'll study the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) and connected duties of care. A point that's commonly misunderstood is also addressed head-on: no single law mandates PAT testing by name, yet duty-holders are legally obliged to maintain electrical equipment in a safe condition — and inspection and testing is the accepted way of discharging that obligation. You'll finish the module clear on who bears that duty and what "reasonably practicable" means in day-to-day practice.

The formal visual inspection is the single most powerful tool in the PAT process, accounting for the vast majority of faults found before a meter is ever connected. This module trains you to conduct a thorough visual inspection and to recognise the tell-tale signs of damage, deterioration and misuse that justify withdrawing an appliance from use.

We also look inside the equipment: correct plug wiring in accordance with BS 1363, appropriate fuse selection, cable and flex condition, strain-relief integrity, and the overall soundness of the casing and connections. You'll understand how an appliance's construction links to its equipment class, and you'll be able to distinguish the routine user checks that all staff should perform from the formal visual inspection carried out by a competent person.

This is the point at which the training becomes genuinely practical. In the dedicated learning zone you'll work with real PAT testing instruments, learning to set them up and operate them safely and confidently. The module introduces the range of testers you may encounter in practice — from straightforward pass/fail units to sophisticated downloadable instruments capable of storing and exporting results.

Through repeated practice you'll develop correct connection technique, appreciate the importance of using calibrated equipment, and build the kind of hands-on confidence that only comes from actually doing it. By the time the module ends, picking up a PAT tester will feel entirely natural.

This module teaches you the formal test sequence and how to apply it correctly to different types of appliance. You'll work through each of the core electrical tests in turn — earth continuity testing, insulation resistance testing, lead and polarity checks, and functional checks — and you'll understand both the purpose of each test and what it reveals about the condition of the appliance under test.

A particular focus is placed on how the correct test sequence varies between Class I and Class II equipment, ensuring you always apply the right tests in the right order. Safe working practice runs as a thread throughout, so every test you conduct is both meaningful and carried out without putting yourself or others at risk.

Producing test results is only half the job — you also need to interpret them correctly. This module teaches you to read your results against accepted limits, make a confident pass/fail judgement and take the appropriate action when an appliance fails. You'll learn how to label tested equipment clearly and how to maintain records that stand up to scrutiny.

We also address how to set sensible and defensible retest intervals. Drawing on the risk-based methodology of the current IET Code of Practice — which has moved away from fixed-frequency timetables — you'll learn to determine inspection and testing frequencies by reference to the type of equipment, its working environment, frequency of use and the people who use it. Robust record-keeping and a well-maintained asset register are presented as the foundation of ongoing compliance and due diligence.

The final module brings everything together and anchors your new competence within its proper regulatory setting. You'll understand the distinction between statutory requirements — the law you are bound to follow — and non-statutory guidance that represents recognised best practice, and why both carry weight for anyone performing PAT testing professionally.

Central to this module is the IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment, now in its 5th edition. We walk through what the Code says, how it supports and gives practical shape to the relevant legislation, and how to use it as your primary reference document. You'll finish the course with a firm grasp of what competence means in this field, how to demonstrate due diligence, and how to carry out PAT testing to a standard that is both professional and legally defensible.