Pat Testing

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Lanark Lass
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Pat Testing

Post by Lanark Lass »

Is PAT testing carried out in France as in the UK?

If so,what are the requirements to be a PAT tester in France.

I was under the impression that PAT testing was part of EU Health and Safety requirements - but I may be wrong!
Owens88
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Post by Owens88 »

French electricity is obviously different than that in Britain. Just note the number of sockets near sinks !
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Post by Lanark Lass »

That is true.

It is also true that electricity can kill?
martyn94
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Re: Pat Testing

Post by martyn94 »

Lanark Lass wrote:Is PAT testing carried out in France as in the UK?

If so,what are the requirements to be a PAT tester in France.

I was under the impression that PAT testing was part of EU Health and Safety requirements - but I may be wrong!
It is not even part of the UK's domestic H and S requirements: there is a duty in general terms to ensure that equipment remains safe, but no requirement to do it in any particular way.
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Post by Lanark Lass »

I know it isn't a legal requirement in the UK but as someone who was formerly involved in H & S I know it is good practice and widely carried out in larger organisations and schools.
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Post by martyn94 »

Lanark Lass wrote:I know it isn't a legal requirement in the UK but as someone who was formerly involved in H & S I know it is good practice and widely carried out in larger organisations and schools.
"Good practice" if you have money to throw away, can't be bothered to do a risk assessment, and want to keep the union rep quiet (so, as you say, "larger organisations and schools"). But mostly a waste of time, given the minuscule risks at stake. Appliances which just sit in a corner minding their own business do not suddenly "go rogue" unless someone trips over the power cord: if they do, you look at it to see whether it's damaged.

It's interesting that the HSE don't do PAT tests on the great majority of kit on their own premises: see here

http://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/faq-p ... esting.htm

Which isn't to say that many PAT testers don't think they are doing valuable work.
martyn94
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Post by martyn94 »

[quote="Owens88"]French electricity is obviously different than that in Britain. Just note the number of sockets near sinks ![/quote

Safer in many cases. I have had my circuits protected by a mandatory 30mA RCD for well over 20 years, long before it was required (on new installations) by the latest UK Wiring Regs. I would guess that I'm at more risk from my bath mat (a serious trip hazard) than I am from the socket above it.
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Gus Morris
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Post by Gus Morris »

OK. I give in. What exactly is PAT testing?

Gus
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Post by martyn94 »

Gus Morris wrote:OK. I give in. What exactly is PAT testing?

Gus
People with not-very-sophisticated electrical circuit testers come round and find that there is nothing grossly wrong with the electrical equipment in your office, and then stick a little label on it to show that they have done so.
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Post by Lanark Lass »

However the PAT test could be part of the risk assessment.

Just make sure no-one suffers in your company as a result of faulty electrics.
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Post by martyn94 »

Lanark Lass wrote:However the PAT test could be part of the risk assessment.

Just make sure no-one suffers in your company as a result of faulty electrics.
And so say all of us. But the risk from a vacuum cleaner, say, which is moved around, dropped, dragged around by the power cord, and generally abused, is radically different from that from the printer that just sits in the corner with its power cord well tucked away. There is no substitute for actually thinking about this stuff. But the vacuum cleaner probably belongs to some dodgy outside cleaning contractor, and is operated by a smicard on their payroll, so maybe you don't much bother.

Incidentally, when did you last look, carefully, at the flex on your electric iron, at home?
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sue and paul
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Post by sue and paul »

"Incidentally, when did you last look, carefully, at the flex on your electric iron, at home?"

When I find my iron, I'll remember to look at the flex. Who needs an iron? :lol:
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Post by Owens88 »

If you have ever sat in an office and had somebody PAT test your laptop it seems trivial enough.
The test should involve checks that current is not leaking out to you and is being channeled properly inside the instrument. As well there should be a check that the correct fuse is in use and that nothing has degraded since manufacture that might make the device unsafe.

I agree. In a steady office environment than an alertness to risks might well be more valuable than frequent checks.
Charities should PAT test prior to re-selling or reusing electricals for instance.

Cheers

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Post by Owens88 »

Last edited by Owens88 on Sun 06 Sep 2015 18:16, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by martyn94 »

No-one has addressed Lanark Lass' original question: does PAT tester exist as a métier in France, and if it does, how do you become one?

I haven't worked long enough in that sort of environment here to know, but I have asked a couple of friends who have, and they don't recall it. A bit of googling suggests that "contrôle de sécurité des appareils electriques" (or just contrôle des appareils electriques) is the equivalent term. I have found one firm which offers it (TÜV, which is German).

On the whole therefore I guess it is not widespread here, or at least not the cottage industry it has been in the UK. Different countries have different fashions in such things (the French seem very pre-occupied by EMF emissions from their mobile phones, but my chauffe-eau - and almost everyone els's - runs at a temperature which would be seriously illegal in Australia).
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Re: Pat Testing

Post by mrob343 »

Lanark Lass wrote:Is PAT testing carried out in France as in the UK?

If so,what are the requirements to be a PAT tester in France.

I was under the impression that PAT testing was part of EU Health and Safety requirements - but I may be wrong!
In answer to the original Question.
PAT testing is not carried out here in France and the 'metier' does not exist.
If a property is correctly wired to the normes with the presence of RCD's which break on both live and neutral poles and a 30 m/A ELCB is fitted, the ELCB and/or the corresponding RCD should detect any current variation within a faulty appliance and trip.
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Post by Lanark Lass »

I wasn't thinking of the purely office and domestic environments.

I formerly worked in an engineering environment where there were drills,cutting tools etc. to check.

Husband worked in a school's DT Department so all their computers etc had to be checked .

I was trying to ascertain whether the metier existed in France as a possible employment opportunity for someone in their fifties looking for a new direction (person redundant due to sale of their former employment. Also single and needing to work.
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