PAT Testing Register: Record Sheet, Log and Intervals (UK)

A PAT testing register is a list of every portable electrical appliance in a workplace with a record of each inspection and test: what was checked, when, by whom and the result. It shows which items are due for their next check, which failed and what happened to them, so you can show your equipment is being maintained.

PAT stands for portable appliance testing, the term HSE uses for examining electrical appliances and equipment to make sure they are safe to use. In practice a good register covers three levels of check, not just the test: quick user checks before use, formal visual inspections by a trained member of staff, and combined inspection and testing by a competent person with the right instrument. HSE stresses that most electrical safety defects can be found by looking, and that some can only be found by looking.

A register is also what turns a one-off test into a maintenance system. Over time the results show which kinds of equipment fail and where, and HSE's guidance is to use that evidence to lengthen or shorten your intervals.

Last reviewed: 30 October 2026.

No. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical equipment that could cause injury to be maintained in a safe condition, but they do not say what must be done, by whom or how often, and they do not make inspection or testing, or annual testing, a legal requirement (HSE PAT FAQs).

What the law expects is a risk-based approach: look at the type of equipment, how it is used and where, then decide what checks keep it safe. For a lot of equipment in a low-risk office, HSE says a portable appliance test is not needed at all and user checks plus visual inspections are enough. For equipment that is used a lot and moved around, such as a kettle or a floor cleaner, testing alongside visual checks can be an important part of an effective regime.

Landlords and some sectors have their own rules and contract terms, so check what applies to you as well.

Class I equipment relies on an earth connection for safety, so HSE recommends a portable appliance test to make sure the earth is sound. Class II (double insulated) equipment has extra insulation, does not need an earth and will not need a portable appliance test, but still needs user checks and visual inspections.

Class II items carry the double-square symbol. If you cannot see it, HSE says assume the item is Class I and test it. The register uses this: choose Class I, Class II or Not marked, and the test interval comes from the Class I or Class II column on Setup. Cables, leads and plugs fitted to Class II equipment are maintained as part of that equipment; loose extension leads and chargers are tracked as items of their own.

Sample scenario, for illustration only. A small business registers 10 items. On 30 October 2026 the register shows:

• Kettle (Class I): visual inspection on 15 April 2026 plus 6 months is 15 October 2026; combined test on 12 October 2025 plus 12 months is 12 October 2026. Both passed, so it shows Overdue.
• Desktop computer (Class I, office IT): tested 3 March 2025; next visual 3 March 2027 (24 months) and next test 3 March 2030 (60 months, HSE's "up to 5 years"). OK.
• Monitor (Class II, office IT): visual only, next 3 March 2027; test Not needed.
• 110 V drill on site: monthly visual on 1 October 2026, so next 1 November 2026 (Due soon); combined test 1 September 2026, so next 1 December 2026.
• Microwave: failed its combined test on 20 September 2026 and is logged as FR-001, labelled faulty and awaiting repair: Out of service. Toaster: failed with a scorched plug and was disposed of on 22 September: Removed.

In the last 12 months there were 9 formal visual inspections and combined tests, with 2 fails: a 22.2% failure rate, both in the kitchen, which is the kind of pattern HSE suggests using to review the kitchen interval.

This register and the record sheets help you plan and record the maintenance of portable electrical equipment. They are not legal or electrical safety advice and do not replace a risk assessment or a competent person. The workbook sets no pass or fail limits for readings: the person doing the test decides, for example following the IET Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (IET), which we describe but have not reproduced. Intervals are HSE's suggested starting points and must be adjusted to your equipment and environment. Greenwolf Tech Labs is not affiliated with HSE or the IET, and the product does not certify any appliance as safe. See our terms and refund policy.