All Employers and those legally responsible for preventing harm coming to their employees, customers, tenants and members of the public when electrical appliances of 50 volts or over are being used.

Each year about 1000 accidents at work involving electric shock or burns are reported to the Health and Safety Executive. About 30 of these are fatal.

Faulty electrical appliances and leads are the main direct cause of accidental fires in commercial buildings. They represent roughly a quarter of all fires attended.

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) in accordance with the Institute of Electrical Engineers Code of Practice is widely accepted as being the correct way to manage these risks. Failure to implement a programme of PAT may prejudice an insurance claim.

Accident Assessors, Insurance Loss Adjusters, Fire Officers and Health and Safety Inspectors usually ask to see PAT records following a serious accident or during an inspection visit.