How Often Should You PAT Test? Best Practices by Environment

Why there's no single answer

A common misconception is that PAT testing has a fixed legal interval, like an MOT. It doesn't. The IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment sets out risk-based guidance instead, varying by how equipment is used and the environment it sits in.

The general pattern

As a rough guide: construction site tools on 110V supplies are typically tested every 3 months given how harshly they're used; public-facing equipment like kettles and extension leads every 6-12 months; industrial and workshop equipment similarly at 6-12 months; and office IT equipment on a fixed desk can often stretch to 2-4 years, since it's rarely moved or physically stressed.

Why environment matters more than equipment type

The same appliance tested in two different settings can reasonably have two different intervals. A kettle in a quiet office breakroom sees far less wear than the same kettle in a busy warehouse canteen. A sensible testing schedule accounts for actual use, not just a generic table applied uniformly.

Setting your own schedule

Rather than guessing, the right approach is a site visit and asset review, from which we set intervals per equipment category. That avoids over-testing low-risk equipment and under-testing the items that actually see hard use. Full frequency guidance is on our PAT testing service page.