PAT testing for Bands, DJs and Musicians in Harlow Essex
You’ve likely come here looking for somebody to PAT test your equipment and get a certificate and sticker on your equipment showing its safe to use in wedding venues and hotels.
How much do you really know about what is required to perform a safety electrical test of in service portable equipment?
How Do I count the number of items to PAT test?
Often we’re asked about what items need testing and dispute if it’s one or two items. We’ll try and answer some of the simple questions to ensure you can correctly count the number of items to get a rough idea of the testing required.
Items with a mains lead
The scope of in service testing of electrical equipment can be simplified somewhat to give a simple demonstration on this page. There are always situations outside of the scope which need special attention but generally in most cases the following is correct to make assumption.
What can be tested
In general anything which connects to the mains is tested, this is simplified in the below:
-Items with a mains lead.
-Mains lead cables and wires.
-Mains low voltage adaptor blocks and power supplies
What items are not tested
The official test process is a little grey as far as where the testing stops, some might say that because the standards refer to electrical items there is scope to argue both ways that testing is required / not required. We apply a practical approach and tend to limit tests to mains items only, we will however inspect the low voltage equipment to ensure it looks safe and has all covers, protection / safety devices in place which otherwise could give rise to danger.
-Devices powered by a low voltage adaptor
– Microphones
– Signal cables i.e. speaker, microphone, lighting control cables
Items With a Fixed Mains Lead
If the lead is fixed hard to the appliance then this is just tested as one item as the lead forms part of the integral appliance and is tested as one unit. We inspect the plug, the cable, the enclosure and other electrical tests to generate a pass certificate or a fail with adisary.
Items With Removable Leads
If your item has a removable mains lead then simply put you need 2 tests. One on the cable, and one on the item.
Why two tests?
Simply put the cable could be interchanged with other appliances, as such if there was a problem with the cable then even if the appliance passed all tests then electrically it could still be unsafe by a bad mains cable.
PAT Testing and Relevance to Musicians and Amps
PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) is carried out to ensure equipment plugged into a mains supply is electrically and mechanically in a sound condition.
There is a visual element, and a combined visual and electrical testing to complete the full test.
The actual requirement for needing a Portable Appliance Test is a bit of a grey area.
There is no real legal requirement to have the test specifically carried out.
There is however many parts of the Health and Safety at work act, provision of use of work equipment act and other safety documents which make reference to equipment being in a safe operating condition and regularly maintained.
Some venue insurances or health and safety procedures may also request a Portable appliance certificate as a standard working document. The Code of Practice of in service electrical equipment is a guide and procedures document issued to ensure all testing is carried out to advised parameters and clearly indicates compliances of passing and failing.
Is it mandatory to be tested every 12 months? The answer in short is no, however there are recommended minimum retest periods for testing based on risk assessments.
If your equipment is used everyday and is moved around in different venues then actually you may require more frequent testing.
Only generally offices have their test periods extended where a PC is not moved for several years it may not be subject to as much wear and tear as an item used by bands every day.
Where to get your amps, PA and pianos PAT tested in Essex
Portable appliance testing can be carried out at your premises if local (terms apply) or you can bring them to our workshop
Our prices are not as low as the big PAT companies out there but they generally require a minimum testing of 1000 items, we have no minimum number of items!!
Do get in touch and we can talk through the requirements and how we can help!
PAT testing costs in Harlow Essex
We have split the portable appliance testing costs into two options to give you the most cost effective solution. If you only have a few items you can bring them to our workshop to test, or if it is inconvenient to bring everything to us in one go, we can come to you.
Based on equipment already with us for repair
| 1 item | £5.50 |
| 2 items | £5 |
| 3-5 items | Cost per item £4.50 |
Based on you bringing your equipment to our workshop.
| up to 14 items | Fixed price £95 |
| 15-30 items | Fixed price £170 |
| 31 + items | Cost per item £5 |
Onsite testing up to 10 miles from our workshop (prices are workshop + £100 callout)
| up to 10 items | Fixed Price £170 |
| 11-30 items | Fixed price £270 |
| 30 -50 | Fixed Price £300 |
| 101+ | POA |
Prices include a green sticker for each appliance professionally computer printed with unique details per your test. After we return the tester to the workshop and all payments have been settled we will email you the PDF certificates which can be forwarded straight to venues. We can store your certificates online with a login for you to access them 24/7 for FREE for the duration the certificate is valid!
All PAT testing is carried out by our sister company CBSVL and will be invoiced from them, because of this the prices quoted are including VAT.
We can carry out portable appliance testing on all your DJ and band equipment in the areas of Harlow Essex and Hertfordshire. We offer bring your equipment to the workshop services as well as site visits with costs varying depending on location.
Contact us for more information and please read the above topics to learn more.