Our Services

The Visual Inspection

The item will be inspected for any visible damage to the case, cable and plug. If there is any damage it will be assessed by the engineer and given a pass or fail. 

Plugtop Inspection

If the plugtop is able to be opened and inspected then the wiring will be checked for correct and safe  termination. All screws will be tightened to the correct torque and the cable grip will be checked to see if the cable is secured in the plug. The current rating of the fuse (A) will be checked against the size of the cable and the power of the appliance and replaced with the correct size if required for no charge. If the cable requires stripping and reterminating safely then there will also be no cost for this. If the plugtop is damaged then we can replace it for a small cost. This test is recorded as Pass or Fail and the rating of the fuse will be recorded. 

Class 1 and Class 2 Items

A Class 1 appliance has a metal case that is connected to the mains earth cable. A Class 2 appliance is usually an insulated item that may be plastic. In some cases a metal item can be a class 2. There is a symbol on class 2 items which is a square with a smaller square inside it. You will see them on gardening equipment such as strimmers and lawn mowers, and household items like food blenders and hair dryers. Class 2 items may not have an earth wire in the cable to the plug. 

Specific Class 1 Testing

An Earth Continuity check will be carried out from the plug to the case of the appliance. This will be done with the item plugged into the test equipment and a cable connected to the metal casing. The purpose of this test is to ensure that if there is an electrical fault within the appliance, the casing cannot become 'live' and give you an electric shock. This test will be recorded as a resistance reading (Ohms)

Insulation Resistance Testing

This test uses 500V dc to check that there is no internal damage to the mains cables. It measures to see if the insulation is still safe and no voltage can cross between the wires in the power cable. There are some items that we will not use this test on such as IT equipment, surge protection extension leads and anything else that has sensitive electronic componants that the high voltage can damage. Other tests will be carried out to ensure the items are electrically safe. This test will be recorded as a resistance reading (Ohms).

Once the electrical testing is complete, the information will be assessed and the appliance will be given a Pass or Fail status. A label will be attached to the item. If the item has passed then the label will be green and have the following information on: Date of test. Appliance ID number. Initials of test engineer. Company name and phone number for Rocco PAT Testing. 

We only use high quality labels that don't fall off within a few weeks and ensure every label is straight, neatly filled in and in a sensible position. Our labels are sourced and made in the UK. 

After the Testing

All of the information collected from the appliance will be entered into a spreadsheet to be sent back to the office for processing. The information includes all of the test results from above as well as the make, model and any serial numbers so the item can be cross referenced to the paperwork through the ID number on the sticker. This spreadsheet is kept on file and used for billing and for the following years tests. We can see trends in the readings from year to year which can sometimes predict an appliance failing before it becomes unsafe.  

We will endeavour to send your logbook, certificate and invoice within 24 hours of the test being completed. This is usually done by email. If you are a smaller company or only have a few items then the logbook and certificate will be one document. For larger companies with more items then a separate logbook and certificate will be issued. 

The certificate will contain the details of Rocco PAT Testing company address, contact details and any insurance policy information. The retest dates will be in the logbook.