NICEIC offers PAT training course to reduce deaths and injuries from poorly maintained electrical equipment 
(06/02/2007)
Many deaths and injuries result from poorly maintained electrical equipment and fires started by faulty electrical appliances. Around 1,000 electrical accidents at work are reported to the Health and Safety Executive each year, of these 30 people die of their injuries.
All electrical equipment should be maintained and checked regularly to ensure it is safe and in good repair. In particular, managers (and others, such as landlords) responsible for electrical equipment maintenance should ensure equipment is maintained in a safe condition, information is available to equipment users to ensure safety, safe procedures for inspection and testing are used and records of inspection and testing are maintained.
To support its national registration scheme for enterprises conducting Portable Appliance Testing (PAT), NICEIC has developed a PAT training course which will provide enterprises with the key competence qualifications required. An NICEIC Guide to Electrical Equipment Maintenance is also available as a valuable reference.
The NICEIC scheme and register provides enterprises with a straightforward route to registration, formal recognition of competence to undertake PAT testing services and a valuable reference for purchasers of PAT testing services.
Safety First, a specialist PAT testing company operating in Northern Ireland assisted NICEIC to pilot the scheme. Mervyn Portis, Director, explained: “We are delighted to be recognised by the NICEIC solely for our PAT testing services. We have seen a growing trend of our clients realising the benefits of restricting to NICEIC contractors to undertake PAT work. Our clients have the added assurance that our standard of work will be continually monitored.”
Existing NICEIC registrants need do nothing further as they will be contacted separately with details of the scheme. NICEIC Approved Contractors with full approval will automatically meet the scheme requirements for inclusion in the PAT register.
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