PAT Testing Records: What to Keep, How Long, and Why It Matters

If you're responsible for PAT testing at your workplace, your PAT testing record sheet is the single most useful document you'll produce. Not the test itself — the record of it. Without proper records, every test you run is essentially invisible. You can't prove compliance, you can't track failures, and you can't schedule retests.

This guide covers exactly what your PAT testing records should contain, how long to keep them, and how to organise them so they're actually useful — not just a filing obligation.

Why PAT testing records matter

PAT testing — portable appliance testing — is the process of inspecting and testing electrical equipment to check it's safe to use. Most UK workplaces do it, but here's the part that trips people up: PAT testing itself is not a specific legal requirement.

What is required is that you maintain your electrical equipment to prevent danger. That obligation comes from the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, specifically Regulation 4(2):

"As may be necessary to prevent danger, all systems shall be maintained so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, such danger."

PAT testing is the most widely accepted method of meeting that duty. And records are how you prove you've done it.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 adds a general duty of care on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of employees. Keeping PAT testing records is part of demonstrating that duty.

The HSE's own guidance document INDG236 confirms that while there's no legal requirement for PAT testing specifically, maintaining electrical equipment and keeping records of that maintenance is best practice — and the expected standard.

What to include on a PAT testing record sheet

The IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (5th Edition) sets the industry standard for what a PAT testing record should contain. Here's what each entry needs:

Essential fields

• Appliance ID — A unique identifier for each item. This could be a barcode label, asset tag number, or serial number. Consistency matters more than format.
• Description — What the item is. "Kettle" is fine. "Kitchen appliance" is not — you'll have dozens of those.
• Make and model — Helps identify recalls and group similar items for batch testing.
• Location — Where the appliance lives. Be specific: "2nd Floor, Room 204" beats "Upstairs."
• Test date — The date the inspection or test was carried out.
• Type of inspection — Was this a user check, a formal visual inspection, or a combined inspection and test? These are different things (more on this below).
• Test results — Earth continuity, insulation resistance, and any other measurements taken. Record the actual values, not just pass/fail.
• Pass or fail — The overall outcome.
• Tester name — Who carried out the test. If you use external contractors, record their company name too.
• Next test date — When the appliance is due for re-inspection or retesting.
• Notes — Anything relevant: damage spotted, repairs done, appliance removed from service.

Optional but useful fields

• Equipment class — Class I (earthed) or Class II (double insulated). This affects which tests you run.
• Appliance category — Stationary, IT, movable, portable, or handheld. The IET Code of Practice uses these categories to recommend testing intervals.
• Photograph — Useful for identifying unlabelled equipment during audits.
• Disposal date and reason — If the appliance fails and you remove it, record when and why.

A common mistake is recording only pass/fail without the actual test readings. If an insulation resistance reading drops from 200 MΩ to 7 MΩ over two test cycles — still a pass, but heading toward failure — you want to spot that trend. You can only do that if you record the numbers.

How long to keep PAT testing records

There is no statutory minimum retention period for PAT testing records. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 don't specify one. Neither does the IET Code of Practice.

That said, the practical recommendation is straightforward:

Keep records for the entire working life of each appliance, plus a reasonable period after disposal.

Here's the reasoning:

1. Civil claims — Under the Limitation Act 1980, personal injury claims can be brought up to 3 years after an incident. But if the injury wasn't immediately apparent, the clock starts from the date of knowledge, not the date of the incident. Keeping records longer protects you.

2. Employer liability insurance — Many insurers require evidence of PAT testing. If an incident occurs and you can't produce records, your insurer may dispute coverage. Some policies have a 6-year retrospective requirement.

3. HSE investigations — If the HSE investigates an electrical incident at your premises, they'll ask for maintenance records. Having a complete history, including records for appliances you've since disposed of, demonstrates a systematic approach to safety.

4. Trend analysis — A record that shows an appliance has been tested and passed 8 times over 4 years is more useful than a single snapshot. Patterns in failure rates help you make informed decisions about replacement cycles.

Practical recommendation: Keep all records indefinitely if using digital storage (it costs nothing). If you're using paper, keep records for at least 5 years after an appliance is disposed of.

The insurance angle

This is the point most people underestimate.

Most employers' liability insurance policies include a condition requiring you to maintain electrical equipment and keep evidence of that maintenance. The exact wording varies by insurer, but the effect is the same: if an employee is injured by a faulty appliance and you can't produce PAT testing records, your insurer has grounds to refuse the claim.

This doesn't just apply to the appliance that caused the injury. Insurers may look at your overall maintenance regime. A complete PAT register covering all your equipment demonstrates due diligence. A patchy one — with gaps, missing dates, and no records for some appliances — raises questions about the whole operation.

If you're responsible for PAT testing, ask your insurance broker exactly what records they expect. Get it in writing. Then make sure your PAT testing record sheet captures everything they need.

Common record-keeping formats

There are three main ways businesses keep PAT testing records. Each has trade-offs.

Paper logbooks

The old-school approach. A bound book or printed forms, filled in by hand after each test.

Works well for: Very small operations (under 20 appliances), single location, one tester.

Breaks down when: You need to search for a specific appliance, check what's overdue for retesting, or share records with an auditor who doesn't want to leaf through a ring binder. Paper records can't send you reminders, and they're vulnerable to loss, damage, and illegible handwriting.

Spreadsheets

The most common approach for in-house PAT testing. A spreadsheet — usually Excel or Google Sheets — with one row per appliance and columns for each field.

Works well for: Up to about 50-100 appliances, especially if one person manages the entire register. Spreadsheets are free, flexible, and familiar.

Breaks down when: Multiple people need to update records, you're managing several locations, or the person who built the spreadsheet leaves and nobody understands the formulas. Version control is a constant headache — which copy is the master? Retest reminders require manual diary entries or formula-based conditional formatting that nobody maintains.

If you want a solid starting point, our free PAT register template generator creates a structured spreadsheet with all the fields recommended by the IET Code of Practice.

Dedicated software

Purpose-built tools for managing PAT testing records. These range from apps designed for professional PAT testers (often overkill for in-house use) to simpler appliance registers aimed at facilities managers.

Works well for: Organisations with 50+ appliances, multiple locations, or more than one person involved in testing. Software handles retest scheduling, record searching, and report generation automatically. If you're weighing up whether to stick with a spreadsheet or switch to software, our template vs software comparison walks through the decision.

Breaks down when: The cost doesn't justify the volume. If you have 15 appliances in a single office, dedicated software is probably more than you need.

For a deeper comparison of the trade-offs, consider the volume of appliances, number of locations, and whether multiple people need access to the records.

How to organise your PAT register

There are two main approaches. Pick one and stick with it.

By location

Group appliances by where they are: Building A → Floor 2 → Room 204. This makes physical walkthroughs efficient. When you're testing, you work room by room and the register follows the same order.

Best for: Multi-site organisations, facilities managers doing walkthrough-style testing, and anyone who needs to quickly answer "what equipment is in this room?"

By appliance type

Group appliances by category: all kettles together, all monitors together, all extension leads together. This makes it easy to apply consistent testing intervals across similar equipment.

Best for: Organisations with large numbers of identical items (e.g., a university with 500 monitors), or when you want to batch-test all items of one type.

The hybrid approach

Most organisations with more than one location end up using a hybrid: organised primarily by location, with the ability to filter or sort by appliance type. This is hard to do well in a paper logbook, manageable in a spreadsheet, and straightforward in software.

User checks, formal visual inspections, and combined inspection and testing

The IET Code of Practice defines three levels of inspection. Your records should distinguish between them:

1. User checks — Done by the person using the equipment, before each use. Look for obvious damage: frayed cables, cracked plugs, burn marks, loose connections. These don't usually need formal recording, but it's good practice to train staff on what to look for.

2. Formal visual inspection — A more thorough visual check by a competent person. No test instruments needed. Covers the appliance, the plug, the cable, and the connection. This should be recorded on your PAT testing record sheet.

3. Combined inspection and testing — A formal visual inspection plus electrical tests using a PAT tester. Earth continuity, insulation resistance, and (where applicable) earth leakage. This is what most people mean when they say "PAT testing." Always recorded.

Recording which type of inspection was done matters because the recommended intervals differ. An appliance might need a formal visual inspection every 12 months but a combined inspection and test only every 48 months. If your records don't distinguish between the two, you can't schedule them correctly.

Practical checklist: setting up your PAT testing records

Use this as a starting point. Adjust to fit your organisation.

• Choose a format — Paper, spreadsheet, or software. If you have fewer than 50 appliances and one tester, a spreadsheet template is a reasonable starting point.
• Label every appliance — Assign a unique ID and attach a physical label (barcode sticker, printed tag, or write-on label). An appliance without an ID can't be linked to its test record.
• Record all fields from the IET Code of Practice — At minimum: appliance ID, description, location, test date, results, pass/fail, tester, next test date.
• Record actual test values, not just pass/fail — You'll thank yourself when trending data reveals a failing appliance before it actually fails.
• Set retest dates based on risk, not a blanket annual schedule — The IET Code of Practice provides recommended intervals by appliance type and environment.
• Include disposal records — When an appliance fails and is removed, record the date and reason. Don't just delete the row.
• Back up your records — If digital, use cloud storage or automatic backups. If paper, consider photographing completed pages.
• Review annually — Check for appliances that have been missed, records that are incomplete, and patterns in failure rates.
• Check your insurance requirements — Ask your insurer exactly what PAT testing records they expect. Match your record sheet to their requirements.
• Run a compliance check — Use our PAT compliance checker to identify gaps in your current records.

Where PAT testing records fit in the legal picture

PAT testing records don't exist in isolation. They're one part of a broader electrical safety regime. If you're unsure about the legal framework — specifically whether PAT testing is required at all — the key regulations to understand are the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The short version: PAT testing isn't legally mandated by name, but the regulations do require you to maintain electrical equipment and, in practice, PAT testing is the accepted way to demonstrate compliance. Records are how you prove it happened.

Get your PAT register right from the start

Setting up a PAT testing record sheet properly takes a few hours upfront. Getting it wrong — or not doing it at all — can cost you months of remedial work when an auditor, insurer, or HSE inspector asks to see your records.

If you're starting from scratch, grab our free PAT register template and work through the checklist above.

If you're already managing a register but finding it hard to keep on top of retests, version control, and multi-location tracking — PATvault is being built for exactly this problem. A straightforward online appliance register with retest reminders, certificate exports, and a clean interface designed for facilities managers, not electrical engineers.

Join the PATvault waitlist → We'll let you know when it's ready. No spam, just a launch notification.