PAT retest interval calculator
There is no legally fixed PAT interval. The IET Code of Practice expects you to set one by risk assessment — this walks you through the five factors that drive it and shows the reasoning, so you can defend the answer.
How harsh are the surroundings the equipment lives in?
How much handling and flexing does it get?
Class I relies on an earth connection, so a fault matters more.
Untrained users are less likely to spot damage early.
What the records actually show for this equipment.
Suggested regime
risk score 10/15- User checks
- Before each use
- Formal visual inspection
- 6 months
- Combined inspection & test
- 12 months
Why there is no fixed answer
Neither the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 nor the IET Code of Practice sets a legal retest interval. The duty is to keep equipment in a condition that prevents danger, and the interval is whatever achieves that for the equipment in front of you.
That is why a drill on a building site and a monitor in an office are not on the same schedule, and why an interval you set once should move when the fault history tells you to. The score above weighs the five factors the Code of Practice points at — environment, equipment type, construction class, users and recorded faults — and lands on a starting regime you can justify in writing.
Review it. If a year of records shows no faults on a class of equipment, lengthening the interval is a legitimate, evidence-backed decision. If faults keep appearing, shorten it.
This is a decision aid, not a substitute for the IET Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment, and not a legal interpretation. The duty holder is responsible for the intervals actually applied.
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