Our PAT Testing service combines visual inspection with appropriate electrical testing to help identify faulty or damaged equipment, maintain clear records and support your wider electrical safety responsibilities.
Whether you need testing at one property or across a larger portfolio, we provide a consistent and practical approach to portable appliance testing.
Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is the inspection and, where appropriate, electrical testing of portable and transportable electrical equipment to help determine whether it remains safe to use.
PAT testing is not simply a case of connecting an appliance to a testing machine. A proper inspection includes a visual examination for signs of damage, deterioration or other conditions that could create danger. Electrical testing can then be carried out where appropriate to identify faults that may not be visible.
Portable electrical equipment can include:
• Kettles and microwaves
• Fridges and freezers
• Washing machines
• Vacuum cleaners
• Portable heaters
• Lamps and lighting equipment
• Extension leads
• Office equipment
• Portable tools
• Communal-area electrical equipment
The equipment requiring inspection and testing will depend on the type of property, how the equipment is used, how often it is moved and the level of risk involved.
Damaged or poorly maintained electrical equipment can increase the risk of electric shock, burns, electrical faults and fire.
PAT Testing can help property owners, landlords, businesses, facilities managers and organisations:
• Identify damaged or faulty electrical equipment
• Remove unsafe appliances from use
• Maintain appropriate inspection and testing arrangements
• Keep clear records of electrical equipment checks
• Support wider electrical safety responsibilities
• Manage portable equipment across multiple properties
It is important to understand that PAT Testing is not automatically required every year. The Health and Safety Executive does not require every portable appliance to be tested annually. The appropriate level and frequency of inspection and testing should be based on the risks associated with the equipment and how it is used.
Portable electrical equipment is found across almost every type of property.
We provide PAT Testing for individual buildings and wider portfolios, helping organisations maintain appropriate inspection and testing arrangements across their properties
Our PAT Testing service is informed by:
• Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• HSE guidance on maintaining portable electrical equipment
• IET Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment
Whether you require an Asbestos Survey on its own or alongside other compliance services, we’ll help coordinate the process through one trusted provider, making property compliance simpler to manage.
Our competent surveyors carry out Asbestos Surveys across a wide range of commercial and residential properties, ensuring each survey is appropriate for the building and its intended use.
Based in Manchester with a particular focus on Greater Manchester and the wider North West. But our team supports clients across the UK, so wherever your properties are located, we’re ready to help.
Our compliance reports are written in plain English, with clear findings, practical recommendations and documentation that’s ready to use. No unnecessary jargon, just reports that help you act quickly and stay compliant.
From your first enquiry to your final report and beyond, we’re committed to clear communication, prompt responses and proactive recommendations and reminders to help you stay compliant without the stress.
We coordinate your compliance services in one place, reducing administration, saving time and making property compliance easier to manage, so you can focus on supporting your residents.
This is the second time we have used this company, and once again they have exceeded our expectations. This company offers every compliant service we need, which genuinely makes our day-to-day operations run more smoothly and gives us complete peace of mind.
Their customer service is outstanding. Every interaction—whether by phone or email—has been prompt, professional, and incredibly helpful. It’s clear that they value their clients and take pride in delivering reliable, efficient support.
They have become a trusted part of our process, and we will certainly continue using them in the future.
“We use The Compliance Company for all of our Supported Housing properties, and have been delighted with the service they provide.
They deal with all of our annual certificates to ensure we are always compliant, we are provided with a folder of all of our up to date certificates and have signed up to their monthly direct direct package so we can manage our cashflow better.
Great service for supported housing or care providers looking for a single point of accountability on their properties”
Great service! We needed an asbestos and legionella report for our property, and the team handled everything quickly and professionally. We also needed extra jobs like PAT testing, an emergency lighting test, and a smoke alarm test — they were really helpful and booked us in for the following week. Fast, reliable and thorough. Highly recommended
We provide PAT Testings across the UK, supporting commercial, education, healthcare, hospitality, public sector and residential property, including social and supported accommodation in maintaining safe, compliant buildings.
Our surveyors regularly work across:
• Greater Manchester (Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan)
• Merseyside (Liverpool, Wirral, St Helens, Southport, Knowsley, Sefton)
• Cheshire (Chester, Warrington, Crewe, Macclesfield, Northwich, Ellesmere Port, Wilmslow)
• Lancashire (Preston, Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, Accrington, Rossendale, Chorley, Lancaster)
• West Yorkshire (Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Halifax, Dewsbury, Batley)
• South Yorkshire (Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham, Barnsley)
• North Yorkshire (York, Harrogate, Scarborough, Ripon, Selby, Skipton)
• East Midlands (Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire)
• Staffordshire (Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, Tamworth, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Burton upon Trent)
• West Midlands (Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Solihull, Walsall, Dudley, Sandwell)
• North East (Newcastle, Sunderland, Gateshead, Middlesbrough, Darlington, Durham)
• East Anglia (Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich, Peterborough)
• Greater London (Central, North, South, East, West London)
• Kent (Maidstone, Canterbury, Medway, Ashford, Dartford, Tunbridge Wells)
• Surrey (Guildford, Woking, Reigate, Epsom, Redhill)
• Essex (Chelmsford, Colchester, Basildon, Southend-on-Sea, Harlow)
• South Coast (Hampshire, Sussex, Portsmouth, Southampton, Brighton, Eastbourne)
• South West (Bristol, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Plymouth, Exeter, Bath, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Taunton)
• South Wales (Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil)
• Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Stirling, Perth)
PAT Testing itself is not a specific legal requirement. However, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical equipment to be maintained so far as reasonably practicable to prevent danger. The appropriate inspection and testing arrangements should be based on the equipment, how it is used and the level of risk.
There is no legal requirement for all portable electrical equipment to be PAT tested annually. The frequency should be based on risk, taking account of the type of equipment, how often it is used or moved, its condition and the environment in which it is used.
Portable and transportable electrical equipment should be considered as part of your electrical safety and maintenance arrangements. This can include kettles, microwaves, fridges, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, portable heaters, lamps, extension leads, office equipment and portable tools.
The equipment requiring formal inspection or electrical testing will depend on factors such as its type, condition, frequency of use and how often it is moved.
If an appliance is found to be unsafe or fails an electrical test, appropriate action should be taken. Depending on the issue, this may involve removing the appliance from use, arranging a suitable repair or replacing it.
Yes. We can provide PAT Testing across individual properties or larger portfolios, helping organisations maintain a consistent approach to portable electrical equipment inspection, testing and record keeping.
No. An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) assesses the fixed electrical installation, including wiring, sockets, switches and other fixed components. PAT Testing focuses on portable and transportable electrical equipment.
They address different parts of electrical safety and one does not replace the other.
Yes, potentially.
PAT Testing focuses specifically on portable electrical equipment, while a Fire Risk Assessment considers the wider fire risks within a property, including the building, its use, occupants, escape routes and fire safety measures.
We regularly help organisations manage both as part of their wider property compliance requirements, providing one point of contact for the inspections their buildings need.
Learn more about Fire Risk Assessments.
Stagnant water, infrequently used outlets and poorly maintained systems are all it takes for Legionella risk to build up. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and COSHH Regulations, managing that risk is your legal responsibility.
We assess your setup, tell you exactly what needs addressing and give you the documentation to prove you’re on top of it.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person for any non-domestic premises must ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is in place.
We carry out the full assessment, document the findings clearly and give you a prioritised action plan.
Any building constructed before 2000 is likely to contain asbestos. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, you need a survey before any refurbishment or demolition work starts.
We carry out asbestos management and refurbishment surveys, identify any asbestos-containing materials and give you a clear, legally compliant record.
Compliance in supported housing is a different beast.
It has stricter frameworks, sector-specific requirements and a very different set of responsibilities.
We have a specialist division built entirely for it. Same one-stop-shop approach, built specifically for housing providers, care organisations and nominated individuals managing property compliance.
