Not as a fixed annual rule for every item. UK law does not set a specific interval for PAT testing. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require employers to keep electrical equipment in a safe condition — but they leave it to the duty holder to decide how often to inspect and test, based on the type of equipment, how it is used, and where. So the accurate answer is: testing is required, annual testing of everything is not. The right schedule is the one matched to the risk. This page explains what the law asks for, what good practice looks like, and how to set a sensible, well-evidenced regime.
Two pieces of legislation are relevant. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places a general duty on employers to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their employees as far as reasonably practicable. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, made under the 1974 Act, are more specific to electrical equipment. Regulation 4(2) is the relevant section: "As may be necessary to prevent danger, all systems shall be maintained so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, such danger."
That is the core legal duty. The regulation does not name PAT testing, does not specify an interval, and does not require records, labels, or certificates. It requires that equipment be maintained well enough to prevent danger — and leaves the duty holder to determine, through risk assessment, what that maintenance looks like in practice.
HSE guidance reflects this. HSE leaflet INDG236, the operative guidance since 2012, makes clear that a fixed annual test of every appliance is not what the law requires, particularly in low-risk environments such as offices. What the law and HSE guidance both ask for is a maintenance regime matched to the risk — which for most workplaces means a mix of inspection and testing at intervals that reflect the equipment and its use.
"PAT testing once a year" is a widely held assumption, and it is easy to see why. An annual interval is simple to remember, simple to schedule, and simple to budget for. It has become a convenient default across many workplaces.
For some equipment and some environments, an annual interval is genuinely the right answer — and this page sets out where that applies. But applied as a blanket rule to every appliance regardless of risk, it is not what the regulations actually require. A laptop that sits on a desk all year and a power tool used daily on a building site have very different risk profiles, and a good maintenance regime reflects that difference rather than treating them the same.
The practical takeaway for a duty holder: an annual interval is a reasonable starting point for discussion, not a legal obligation in itself. The regime worth having is one matched to the actual equipment and how it is used.
HSE guidance INDG236, "Maintaining portable electric equipment in low-risk environments," sets out a three-tier maintenance approach. The IET Code of Practice 5th edition aligns with the same risk-based principles.
User checks. A brief look before use. Is the cable damaged? Is the plug intact? Are there scorch marks, cracked casing, or signs of overheating? According to the HSE, simple inspection of this kind finds more than 90 percent of electrical defects. User checks require no qualification and no equipment — just a brief checklist and the equipment user's attention.
Formal visual inspections. A more detailed check by a competent person — including opening the plug to verify fusing and termination, checking the cable along its length for damage hidden from the user check, and assessing whether the equipment suits its environment. No electrical testing equipment is required. A formal visual inspection catches the large majority of faults and is well suited to being carried out regularly.
Combined inspection and test. A formal inspection plus electrical tests — earth continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, and functional test — using calibrated PAT testing equipment. This is what people normally mean when they say "PAT testing". How often it is needed depends on risk: frequently for power tools on a construction site, less often for office IT equipment that stays in one place. A sensible regime tests everything periodically and tests the higher-risk equipment more often.
The HSE's position is that the level of inspection and testing should match the equipment and the environment. Combined inspection and test is essential for some equipment and lighter-touch checks suit others — the skill is matching the regime to the risk rather than applying one fixed rule to everything.
HSE guidance INDG236 publishes suggested initial intervals as a starting point for risk assessment. These are guidance, not legal requirements. The duty holder is expected to set actual intervals based on the equipment, environment, and observed failure rates.
Office IT equipment (PCs, monitors, printers, laptops in fixed locations). Low-risk, low-movement equipment. A formal visual inspection on a regular cycle, with combined inspection and test less frequently — every two years is a sound interval for most offices.
Office kitchen equipment (kettles, microwaves, fridges, toasters). Visual inspection every 1 to 2 years. Combined inspection and test every 2 to 4 years for Class 1 items.
Hotel bedroom appliances (kettles, hairdryers, lamps). Visual checks at room cleaning or turnover. Combined inspection and test every 1 to 2 years given high usage and frequent damage potential.
Construction site equipment (power tools, extension leads, site lighting). User checks before each use. Combined inspection and test every 3 months for 110V tools and equipment in harsh environments.
HMO communal areas (shared kitchens, shared laundry). Often subject to local authority HMO licence conditions specifying intervals; check the specific licence. Where licence is silent, treat as moderate-risk: visual inspection every 6 to 12 months, combined inspection and test every 1 to 2 years for Class 1 items.
School and educational equipment (computers, lab equipment, workshop tools). Risk varies massively by type. Workshop tools used daily by students: intervals close to construction site frequencies. Office computers in administration areas: intervals close to office IT frequencies.
For the typical UK office, shop, or small commercial premises, a sound risk-based PAT regime has a few common features. The approach below is defensible to the HSE, to enforcement authorities, and to insurers:
Document a maintenance scheme. Write down your approach — what is inspected, what is tested, and how often. The HSE expects a documented, considered scheme rather than just a date in the calendar.
Encourage user checks. A brief staff briefing on what to look for — damaged cables, cracked plugs, scorch marks — catches a large share of faults at no direct cost, between formal visits.
Carry out formal visual inspections regularly. A competent person inspecting the equipment on a regular cycle is the backbone of a good regime, and catches the majority of developing faults.
Combined inspection and test at intervals matched to risk. Test everything periodically, and test the higher-risk equipment — portable tools, kitchen appliances, anything frequently moved or in a harsh environment — more often.
Keep clear records. Records evidence that the scheme is being followed — useful for enforcement authorities and insurers alike. An electronic asset register or a simple spreadsheet is sufficient.
This kind of regime focuses attention on the equipment that needs it most and produces a clear, well-evidenced maintenance record.
Annual testing is sometimes the right answer, but for specific reasons rather than as a default. The clearest cases include:
Hire equipment. HSE strongly recommends formal inspection and testing before each hire to ensure safety. Equipment hire businesses typically test between hires.
Construction site equipment. The combination of harsh environment, frequent damage, and high consequence of failure justifies short intervals — three months for 110V site equipment is a common standard.
Equipment under HMO or other licence conditions. Where a licence specifies an interval, that interval becomes contractually binding regardless of what the underlying law requires.
High-usage commercial kitchens. Heavy daily use, water, heat, and the consequence of electrical failure in food service justify shorter intervals than office equipment.
Healthcare environments with patient-connected equipment. Distinct guidance applies (IEC 62353 for medical electrical equipment) and intervals are typically annual or more frequent.
For most other workplaces, the question is not "annual or not" but "what regime suits this equipment and this environment". For many sites that means regular visual inspection, combined testing every couple of years, and more frequent testing of the higher-risk items — which is the schedule RiskSorted is built around.
Booking compliance work is usually slower and murkier than it should be — chasing quotes, waiting for callbacks, never quite sure who's turning up or what it'll cost. RiskSorted is built to make it simple.
Tell us what you need and where you are, and RiskSorted matches you with an experienced specialist in your area — someone close enough to know the patch, qualified for the job in hand. No call centre booking a stranger from three counties away.
Every specialist is checked and vetted before they take RiskSorted work, so you're not relying on luck. And because all work is written up through the RiskSorted reporting platform, you get the same clear, consistent report every time — whichever expert attends, whichever site, wherever you are in the country.
RiskSorted's AI assistant gives you a clear price in plain terms there and then — no site visit needed first, no quote to wait for, no mystery. You see what it costs before you commit, and the price doesn't change on the day.
RiskSorted's PAT service follows what HSE guidance INDG236 and the IET Code of Practice 5th edition recommend: a clear, risk-based maintenance regime. A full combined inspection and test every two years, a formal visual inspection every year in between, and higher-risk equipment combined-inspection-and-tested at least annually. A compliance professional is on site every year, the full test is never more than two years apart, and the equipment most likely to cause harm is tested most often. It is a thorough regime — and a clearer, better-evidenced one than a flat annual test of everything.
£99 minimum charge
covers the first 100 tests
99p per test thereafter
A full combined inspection and test across all in-scope equipment. Asset register built and updated, Class 1 and Class 2 items identified, plug ratings, fuse values and test results recorded. Carried out every two years, this is the backbone of the maintenance record.
£69 minimum charge
covers the first 100 items
69p per item thereafter
In the year between full tests, a formal visual inspection by a competent person across all equipment — checking cables, plugs, casings and signs of damage or overheating. Higher-risk items (kitchen Class 1, portable and frequently-moved equipment, anything with damage history) are combined-inspection-and-tested at this visit too, so the riskiest equipment is tested at least every year.
Alternating
full test, then visual
Year 1: full inspection and test. Year 2: formal visual inspection plus high-risk testing. Year 3: full inspection and test again — and so on. A compliance professional is on site every single year, and the full test never falls more than two years apart.
In-hours pricing (Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm). Visits starting after 5pm on weekdays, on Saturday or Sunday, or on bank holidays are charged at +25%. All prices exclude VAT.
| Site size | Full test year | Visual inspection year | Cost per 2-year cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 items | £99 | £69 | £168 |
| 100 items | £99 | £69 | £168 |
| 200 items | £199 | £138 | £337 |
| 500 items | £495 | £345 | £840 |
| 1,000 items | £990 | £690 | £1,680 |
Some changes mean a full combined inspection and test is the right call even in a visual-inspection year, because equipment has changed enough that a fresh test is warranted:
The upgrade is rules-based, not a sales judgement. If a trigger applies, the visit is a full inspection and test. If no trigger applies, it is the formal visual inspection plus high-risk testing. The customer sees the assessment and the reason before the booking is confirmed.
Three reasons.
It is a genuinely thorough regime. A compliance professional inspects the equipment every year, the full combined inspection and test is never more than two years apart, and the higher-risk equipment — the items most likely to cause harm — is tested at least every year. Nothing slips through a two-year gap.
It matches recognised guidance. HSE INDG236 and the IET Code of Practice 5th edition both set out a risk-based approach: visual inspection catches the large majority of defects, and combined testing intervals should reflect equipment type and environment rather than a flat annual rule for everything. An annual visual inspection with two-yearly full testing, and annual testing of high-risk items, is a clean expression of that guidance.
It produces a clear, well-evidenced maintenance record. Every year there is a documented visit. Every two years there is a full test result for every item. The high-risk equipment has an annual test history. That is a stronger evidence trail for an enforcement authority or insurer than a flat annual test that treats a fixed monitor and a site power tool exactly the same.
This risk-based approach is consistent with how the HSE has described good practice since 2012 — focusing inspection and testing effort according to the equipment and the environment, rather than applying a single fixed interval to everything regardless of risk.
Not as a fixed rule for every item. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical equipment to be maintained in a safe condition, but do not set a specific interval or name PAT testing. Testing is part of meeting that duty; a blanket annual test of everything is not specifically required. The right interval is the one matched to the equipment and how it is used.
Equipment must be maintained to prevent danger so far as is reasonably practicable. The duty holder sets the maintenance regime based on risk assessment — equipment type, environment, and usage.
It depends on the equipment and environment. HSE guidance is risk-based rather than a single fixed interval. A sound and widely used regime is a formal visual inspection every year, a full combined inspection and test every two years, and more frequent testing of higher-risk equipment such as portable tools and kitchen appliances.
For most office Class 2 IT equipment, user checks are sufficient with no formal testing required. For Class 1 office equipment (kettles, fridges, anything with an earth pin), suggested initial intervals are typically 2 to 4 years per HSE guidance. The right answer depends on usage and environment.
No legal requirement. Useful in practice for managing the scheme and evidencing diligence. The HSE accepts electronic asset registers.
The ABI says insurers do not require disproportionate testing. Individual policies sometimes contain legacy clauses; ask your insurer whether a documented risk-based scheme satisfies the same obligation.
Not testing is not itself an offence. Failing to maintain equipment to prevent danger is. If a faulty appliance causes harm and you cannot demonstrate any reasonable maintenance scheme — user checks, visual inspections, or formal testing as appropriate — you face prosecution and insurance exposure.
Private landlords have a safety duty for supplied appliances but no specific PAT testing legal requirement. HMO licence conditions frequently require it contractually. Social landlords have a separate five-year equipment check obligation.
Per the IET Code of Practice 5th edition, someone with adequate knowledge of electricity, ability to inspect for damage and recognise faults, and judgment about when to test and when to take equipment out of service. For user checks this can be a briefed staff member. For combined inspection and test, a trained operator with calibrated equipment.
A full combined inspection and test every two years, a formal visual inspection every year in between, and higher-risk items (kitchen Class 1 equipment, portable equipment, anything with damage history) combined-inspection-and-tested at least annually. This means a compliance professional is on site every year, the full test is never more than two years apart, and the riskiest equipment is tested most often. The full-test visit is £99 (covering the first 100 tests, then 99p per test); the visual-inspection visit is £69 (covering the first 100 items, then 69p per item). In-hours pricing applies Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm; visits after 5pm on weekdays, on Saturday or Sunday, or on bank holidays are charged at +25%. All prices exclude VAT. Some changes — significant equipment additions, site relocation, a high failure rate, HMO or insurance conditions, change of use — mean a visual-inspection year is upgraded to a full test.
RiskSorted matches you with an experienced local specialist — a qualified engineer in your area, vetted before they take any RiskSorted work. The job is written up through the RiskSorted reporting platform, so you get the same clear, consistent report whichever specialist attends. You deal with RiskSorted throughout: one point of contact, one clear price, one consistent standard.
Three things make it simpler. RiskSorted finds you a vetted local expert rather than dispatching someone from far away. All work runs through the RiskSorted reporting platform, so the report is clear and consistent every time. And RiskSorted's AI assistant gives you a clear price straight away — no site visit first, no waiting on a quote, no surprises on the day.
This page is published by RiskSorted as a duty-holder explainer of UK electrical safety law as it applies to portable appliance testing. It is not legal advice. Specific maintenance regimes should be developed following risk assessment of the specific equipment and environment in question, and where the consequences of failure are significant, professional advice should be taken. Current at 12 May 2026; we update this page when the underlying regulations or guidance change.