PAT testing for kit that travels: what the law asks for, and what it doesn't
There is no law that says you must PAT test every year. There is a law that says your electrical kit must be safe, and kit that goes in a van to a different venue every week is not the same as a monitor on an office desk.
Guest post. We build and run both of Mike's websites, for MS Electrical and for his lighting work.
The question I'm asked most is whether PAT testing is a legal requirement. The short answer is no. The longer answer matters more.
What the law actually says
PAT testing isn't named in any single law, and there is no law that says you must test appliances at a set interval. What the law does say, in the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, is that employers, the self-employed and anyone in control of premises must maintain electrical equipment so that it doesn't cause danger.
The Health and Safety Executive is clear on the detail. The regulations don't specify what needs to be done, by whom or how often, so they don't make testing itself a legal requirement. The HSE also says that for most portable electrical equipment in a low-risk workplace, a portable appliance test isn't needed, and that a quick user check, done by someone with simple training, can be a very useful part of looking after equipment.
So why does anyone test? Because in practice, regular in-service inspection and testing is the recognised way to show you've met the duty. Insurers expect it, the IET Code of Practice treats it as the standard approach, and when something goes wrong, a dated test record is the evidence that you took care.
How often
There's no fixed legal interval. The right frequency depends on the type of equipment and where it's used. Offices and shops typically test once a year. Construction and hire equipment may be tested every few months.
The dividing line is how hard life is for the item. Kit that gets moved around, plugged and unplugged, coiled, dropped and stood on is higher risk than kit that sits in one place. Power tools, extension leads and kettles are the classic examples. A desktop monitor that hasn't moved in three years is at the other end.
Why kit that travels is a different case
If you work in production, events or live sound, most of your equipment lives like hire kit. It goes in a van, comes out in a car park in the rain, gets plugged into a different supply every week, and spends the rest of the time in a flight case with its cable wound a bit too tight. The extension reels and cable runs get it worst of all.
That kind of use wears plugs and cables in exactly the places an electrical test and a proper visual inspection pick up: a cracked plug body, a cable pulled out of its grip, a fuse someone swapped for a bigger one to stop it blowing. Treat it like hire equipment rather than office equipment, and test it more often than once a year.
Many venues and event organisers also ask to see records for anything a visiting crew plugs in. Having a current certificate ready on your phone is a lot easier than finding out at the load-in door that you need one.
What a test involves
PAT stands for portable appliance testing, sometimes called in-service inspection and testing. It combines a visual check of the plug, the cable and the casing with electrical measurements taken on calibrated instruments. Every item gets a pass or fail label on the spot.
Failures are less dramatic than people fear. Many are minor, like a worn plug or the wrong fuse, and can be put right there and then. If something does fail, it's labelled as a fail and you're told straight away, so it doesn't go back in the case and out to the next job.
You should come away with a PDF certificate and a full itemised report. I email mine the same day.
Between tests
A test is a snapshot. The checks that keep kit safe in between are the quick ones anybody can do before plugging in:
- The plug. No cracks, no scorch marks, the cable held firmly where it enters.
- The cable. No cuts, no exposed inner cores, no tape covering a repair.
- The casing. No damage, nothing loose, nothing rattling that shouldn't.
- The fuse. The right rating for the item. A bigger fuse doesn't fix a problem, it hides one.
If anything looks wrong, take it out of use and label it. That habit, plus a regular test, is what the law is really asking for.
From Granary: if your crew is bringing kit to a shoot at the barn, what's included with studio hire covers what's already here and what to ask. For events, see live events and streaming.
Sources
- MS Electrical, PAT testing FAQ, checked 28 September 2026
- MS Electrical, PAT testing explained, checked 28 September 2026
- Health and Safety Executive, Portable appliance testing FAQs, updated 16 April 2025
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