Who Can Do PAT Testing? Qualifications, Training, and the Law

There is no law requiring a specific qualification for PAT testing. Anyone can do it — as long as they're competent. That single word carries legal weight. Get it wrong and you expose your organisation to the same liability as not testing at all.

Most people assume PAT testing requires an electrician. It doesn't. But the person doing the testing does need to understand what they're doing, and the level of understanding required depends on what type of inspection they're carrying out.

What "competent person" means in law

The term comes from Regulation 16 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989:

"No person shall be engaged in any work activity where technical knowledge or experience is necessary to prevent danger or, where appropriate, injury, unless he possesses such knowledge or experience, or is under such degree of supervision as may be appropriate having regard to the nature of the work."

The regulation does not mention qualifications. It defines competence in terms of knowledge and experience sufficient to prevent danger.

The HSE's Memorandum of Guidance on the Electricity at Work Regulations expands on this. Competence has three components:

1. Adequate knowledge of electricity — understanding of the dangers and precautions needed.
2. Adequate experience of the work — practical familiarity with the equipment and testing procedures.
3. Adequate understanding of the system — knowing enough about the equipment and its context to recognise hazards.

A person is competent if they have enough training to carry out the specific inspection or test, interpret results correctly, and identify unsafe equipment. This is a sliding scale. The competence needed for a basic visual check is far lower than the competence needed to interpret insulation resistance readings on Class I equipment. The IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment reflects this by defining three levels of inspection, each with different competence requirements.

The three levels of PAT inspection — and who can do each

Our PAT testing frequency guide covers the recommended intervals for each level. Here's who can carry out each one.

Level 1: User checks

A quick visual check before using equipment. Look for obvious damage — frayed cables, cracked casings, scorch marks around the plug, loose connections, signs of overheating. Any employee can do this with a brief explanation of what to look for. No test instruments are needed and no formal recording is required, though staff should know to stop using damaged equipment and report it immediately.

Level 2: Formal visual inspection

A thorough visual check by someone other than the day-to-day user. The inspector examines the plug (including opening rewirable plugs to check wiring), cable, cable entry point, casing, and environmental suitability. No PAT tester is used.

A trained member of staff can do this: facilities manager, office manager, health and safety coordinator, caretaker. The IET Code of Practice is clear that formal visual inspections do not require an electrician. The person needs to know how a correctly wired plug should look, understand the difference between Class I and Class II equipment, and recognise less obvious cable damage such as compression under furniture.

A half-day training session is typically enough to reach this level.

Level 3: Combined inspection and testing

Everything in Level 2, plus electrical tests using a PAT tester — earth continuity, insulation resistance, and sometimes substitute or touch current leakage. This is where formal training becomes strongly advisable.

The person needs to understand what each test measures, know the pass/fail thresholds for different equipment classes, recognise when a reading is trending toward failure, and understand the limitations of their PAT tester. A one-day course such as City & Guilds 2377 covers this level.

PAT testing training options

City & Guilds 2377

The most widely recognised PAT testing qualification in the UK. A one-day course covering:

• Legal background and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
• The IET Code of Practice.
• Equipment construction classes (Class I, Class II, Class III).
• Visual inspection procedures.
• Electrical tests: earth continuity, insulation resistance, functional checks.
• Interpreting results and pass/fail criteria.
• Recording results and labelling.

The course includes theory and hands-on practical testing. Assessment is through a multiple-choice exam and practical assessment. Cost: typically £150-£300 depending on provider and location. Our PAT testing costs guide covers the full cost breakdown.

Other classroom courses

Several providers offer non-accredited one-day courses covering substantially the same material, typically £100-£200. These develop competence adequately, though City & Guilds 2377 carries more recognition with clients and insurers.

Online courses

Available for £30-£80, covering theory only. The limitation: no hands-on practice. You cannot learn to operate a PAT tester and interpret real readings from a video alone. Online courses work as a supplement to practical training or as a refresher. As a sole method of training for combined inspection and testing, they are weak.

In-house training

If your organisation employs or contracts a qualified electrician, they can train staff in PAT testing procedures. Common in schools, NHS trusts, housing associations, and universities where one qualified person trains facilities staff.

Effective in-house training includes a structured theory session, supervised hands-on practice, documented assessment of competence, and periodic refreshers. The documentation matters. "Dave showed me how to use the tester" is not sufficient evidence of competence if challenged by an insurer or the HSE. A signed training record with dates, content covered, and the trainer's qualifications is.

Do you need to be an electrician?

No. The IET Code of Practice is explicit on this point.

The misconception runs in both directions. Non-electricians assume they cannot PAT test. Electricians assume their qualifications automatically make them competent. Neither is correct.

Electricians are not automatically competent at PAT testing. They are trained in electrical installation — wiring regulations (BS 7671), circuit design, installation testing. In-service testing of portable appliances is a different discipline with different procedures, pass/fail criteria, and equipment. An electrician who has never used a PAT tester or applied the IET Code of Practice thresholds is not yet competent — regardless of their wiring qualifications. That said, electricians have a significant head start and usually need only brief familiarisation with the IET Code of Practice.

Non-electricians can be competent. PAT testing does not involve working on live electrical systems or opening equipment (beyond rewirable plugs). The PAT tester is designed for safe operation by non-electricians. The competence lies in knowing which tests to run, interpreting readings, and making correct pass/fail decisions. A one-day course covers this.

The boundary to respect: fault diagnosis. If an appliance fails, identifying why is a job for someone with electrical qualifications. The PAT tester should fail the appliance, remove it from service, label it, and refer it to a qualified person. They should not attempt repairs.

In-house testing vs outsourced

Both approaches satisfy the legal requirement, provided the tester is competent and records are kept.

When in-house makes sense

100+ appliances. Outsourcing costs add up quickly at volume. A trained staff member can work through a large register over several days, fitting testing around other duties.

Schedule control. You test new equipment on arrival, respond immediately to failures, and are not waiting for a contractor's availability.

Ongoing awareness. An in-house tester notices changes — new extension leads in wet areas, personal appliances brought from home, equipment moved to unsuitable locations. A contractor visiting once a year cannot.

Cost at scale. Training (£150-£300) plus a PAT tester (£150-£400) is recouped within the first year for organisations with several hundred appliances. See our PAT testing costs guide for detailed comparisons.

When outsourcing makes sense

Small estates (20-50 appliances). The cost of training and equipment may exceed annual contractor visits. At this scale, a professional PAT tester can complete the entire register in a single visit.

No suitable internal candidate. A reluctant, poorly motivated tester produces unreliable results. If nobody has the time or aptitude, outsource. Poor testing is arguably worse than no testing — it creates a false sense of compliance.

Specialist environments. Three-phase equipment, medical devices, and industrial machinery require expertise beyond standard PAT courses. A specialist contractor may be needed for part or all of your register.

The hybrid approach

Many organisations combine both. In-house staff handle routine testing of standard equipment. External contractors cover specialist items or provide periodic independent audits.

Record-keeping: non-negotiable regardless of who tests

Whoever carries out the testing must keep records. When outsourcing, confirm in advance what records the contractor will provide, in what format, and whether they'll include actual readings or only pass/fail.

A common problem: the contractor leaves paper certificates that nobody enters into the organisation's register. The certificates get filed and forgotten. When the insurer asks for a PAT register, you have a box of disconnected paperwork instead.

Your PAT testing records need to be complete, current, and accessible. Each record should include the appliance ID, description, location, test date, test type, actual results (not just pass/fail), outcome, tester name, and next test date.

Digital records are easier to maintain, search, and produce on demand than paper. Our PAT register template generator creates a structured spreadsheet with all the fields recommended by the IET Code of Practice. For larger organisations managing multiple locations, purpose-built software eliminates the version control and scheduling headaches that spreadsheets create.

Proving competence if challenged

If the HSE investigates an incident or your insurer queries your regime, you may need to demonstrate your tester's competence. Evidence that supports a claim:

• Formal qualification. A City & Guilds 2377 certificate is the most straightforward.
• Training records. Documented training with dates, content, trainer details, and assessment outcomes.
• Experience log. Records showing sustained PAT testing activity over time.
• Supervision records. If applicable, documented supervision arrangements.
• Refresher evidence. A certificate from 2015 with no subsequent training is weaker than recent evidence of continued development.

There is no legal requirement to hold a specific certificate. But if you cannot produce any evidence of training or competence, the HSE and insurers will draw their own conclusions.

Summary

• User checks require minimal training. Any employee can do them.
• Formal visual inspections need basic training. A half-day session is sufficient.
• Combined inspection and testing requires understanding of test procedures and interpretation. A one-day course such as City & Guilds 2377 is the most efficient route.
• Electricians are not automatically competent at PAT testing. Non-electricians can be.
• Whoever tests must keep proper records. No exceptions.
• In-house testing is cost-effective at scale. Outsourcing suits smaller estates or specialist needs.

Use our PAT compliance checker to review your current regime and identify gaps in testing coverage, record-keeping, or competence documentation.

PATvault is built for organisations that manage PAT testing in-house. An online appliance register with automatic retest reminders, audit-ready exports, and a clean interface designed for facilities staff — not electrical engineers.

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