PAT Testing Training Course

The Real Cost of Electrical Equipment Failures
• Common causes of portable appliance incidents
• Electric shock and electrical fire risks
• Damaged cables, plugs, and equipment
• Consequences of defective portable appliances
• Equipment failure, downtime, and business disruption
• Lessons learned from electrical safety incidents

Understanding Portable Appliance Testing
• What Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) involves
• Types of portable and movable electrical equipment
• Understanding electrical safety principles
• When equipment may require inspection or testing
• The role of visual inspection and electrical testing
• Understanding the limitations of PAT testing

Hazard Identification & Risk Awareness
• Damaged plugs and cables
• Exposed conductors and insulation damage
• Signs of overheating
• Loose connections and damaged casings
• Incorrect use of electrical equipment
• Environmental risks including moisture, dust, heat, and mechanical damage
• Identifying equipment that should be removed from service

Visual Inspection & Pre-Test Checks
• Conducting a systematic visual inspection
• Checking plugs, cables, casings, and connections
• Identifying signs of damage or deterioration
• Checking equipment labels and identification
• Assessing the suitability of equipment for its environment
• Recording defects and taking appropriate action

PAT Testing Equipment & Testing Procedures
• Introduction to PAT testing instruments
• Understanding test functions and equipment settings
• Earth continuity testing
• Insulation resistance testing
• Polarity and related checks where applicable
• Leakage/current testing where appropriate
• Interpreting test results
• Understanding pass/fail outcomes
• Safe use of PAT testing equipment

Practical PAT Testing
• Setting up PAT testing equipment
• Carrying out practical tests on representative appliances
• Applying appropriate testing procedures
• Identifying failed equipment
• Understanding common testing errors
• Safe handling of equipment during testing
• Recording test results accurately

Organisational Responsibility & Safety Culture
• Employer responsibilities for electrical equipment
• Responsibilities of the person carrying out inspections and testing
• Importance of competent persons
• Equipment identification and record keeping
• Defect reporting and equipment isolation
• Communicating electrical hazards to employees
• Supporting a proactive workplace electrical safety culture

PAT Testing as an Ongoing Risk Management Activity
• Maintaining accurate inspection and testing records
• Reviewing equipment according to risk and conditions of use
• Monitoring recurring equipment defects
• Removing unsafe equipment from service
• Reviewing testing arrangements following incidents or changes
• Embedding electrical safety into everyday workplace practices

This course is suitable for individuals responsible for portable electrical equipment inspection and testing, including:

• Maintenance Personnel
• Facilities Managers
• Facilities Teams
• Health & Safety Personnel
• Property Managers
• Engineering Personnel
• Electrical Maintenance Staff
• Workplace Safety Representatives
• Contractors
• Employees responsible for workplace equipment inspections

The course is particularly suitable for organisations wishing to develop internal capability for the inspection and testing of portable electrical equipment.

Reduce Electrical Risk
Damaged or poorly maintained portable electrical equipment can create risks of electric shock, burns, electrical fires, and equipment failure. Appropriate inspection and testing helps organisations identify problems before they result in an incident.

Improve Competence
Practical training helps designated personnel understand how to inspect portable appliances, use appropriate testing equipment, interpret results, and identify equipment that should not remain in service.

Protect Employees
Effective electrical equipment management supports a safer workplace by reducing exposure to preventable electrical hazards.

Reduce Downtime
Identifying defective equipment early can help prevent unexpected equipment failure, operational disruption, and avoidable replacement costs.

Employee Wellbeing & Workplace Safety
PAT Testing forms part of a wider workplace safety and employee wellbeing strategy by helping organisations maintain safe equipment and reduce preventable electrical hazards.

Compliance
The training supports organisations in meeting their responsibilities for the safe maintenance, inspection, and use of electrical equipment in the workplace.

Participants will:

• Understand the purpose and principles of PAT testing
• Recognise common electrical equipment hazards
• Conduct effective visual inspections
• Use PAT testing equipment safely
• Carry out appropriate electrical tests
• Interpret PAT test results
• Identify defective or unsafe equipment
• Maintain appropriate testing and inspection records
• Understand the importance of competent persons
• Support ongoing workplace electrical safety

Instructor-led training
• Interactive classroom learning
• Practical demonstrations
• Hands-on PAT testing exercises
• Equipment inspection exercises
• Workplace scenarios
• Practical interpretation of test results

Delivered:

• Onsite at client premises, or
• At designated training venues

The course focuses on practical PAT testing competence, enabling participants to apply inspection and testing principles to workplace electrical equipment.

This training supports employer responsibilities under the:

• Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005
• Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, as amended
• Part 3 – Electricity, including requirements relating to portable equipment

Regulation 81 requires employers to ensure portable equipment is maintained in a condition fit for safe use. Where portable equipment is exposed to conditions causing deterioration liable to result in danger, and is supplied above 125V AC, it must be visually checked by the user before use and periodically inspected by a competent person appropriate to its nature, location, and use. Where appropriate, a competent person must also test the equipment and certify whether it was safe on the date of testing.

The Regulations also require electrical equipment and installations to be designed, maintained, protected, and used so as to prevent danger, while persons undertaking electrical work where technical knowledge and experience are necessary must be competent or appropriately supervised.

Important: PAT testing should be based on workplace risk, equipment type, environment, and conditions of use rather than treating a fixed annual testing interval as a universal legal requirement.

Since 2008, Samson Training has been delivering professional workplace training to organisations across Ireland, helping businesses reduce risk, strengthen compliance, improve employee wellbeing, and enhance operational performance.

Our approach focuses on practical workplace application, helping participants understand not only how to test equipment, but also how effective inspection and testing contributes to a wider electrical safety management system.

Organisations choose Samson Training because we provide:

• Established workplace training provider since 2008
• Positive participant feedback and Google reviews
• Experienced workplace safety trainers
• Practical, hands-on training
• Real workplace equipment and scenarios
• Flexible onsite delivery throughout Ireland
• Training tailored to organisational requirements
• Professional support before and after training

We believe PAT Testing should form part of a wider employee wellbeing, workplace safety, operational continuity, and organisational risk management strategy — not simply be treated as a one-off compliance exercise.

What is PAT Testing?
Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) involves the inspection and, where appropriate, electrical testing of portable electrical equipment to help determine whether it is safe for continued use.

Is PAT Testing legally required in Ireland?
Irish legislation requires employers to ensure electrical equipment is maintained so as to prevent danger. Certain portable equipment exposed to conditions that could cause deterioration must be visually checked and periodically inspected by a competent person, with testing carried out where appropriate.

Does Irish law require PAT Testing every year?
Not universally. The appropriate frequency of inspection and testing should be determined according to the nature, location, use, and condition of the equipment and the risks involved.

Who should carry out PAT Testing?
Where technical knowledge and experience are necessary to prevent danger, the work should be carried out by a competent person or under an appropriate level of supervision.

Does the course include practical PAT testing?
Yes. The one-day course includes practical demonstrations and hands-on exercises using PAT testing equipment, where appropriate.

Can PAT Testing training be delivered onsite?
Yes. Samson Training can deliver the course onsite, allowing organisations to incorporate their own equipment, workplace conditions, and electrical safety procedures into the training.

Does the course cover record keeping?
Yes. Participants learn about recording inspection and testing results, identifying defective equipment, and maintaining appropriate workplace records.