If you’re a PAT tester and are worried about the latest changes to the IET Code of Practice interfering with your work, Megger has some advice for you.

Don’t worry.

In a blog post hosted by public relations company Fresh PR, Megger’s Simon Wood states that despite new rulings in the Code of Practice about the frequency of testing, there are still a lot of new opportunities arising for those who carry out PAT testing for a living.

The new rules come after many people felt they were being ill advised about how often they had to carry out PAT testing. Under the new legislation emphasises that this approach is wrong – with a bigger focus on risk assessments being carried out rather than actual PAT testing.

Understandably this might make PAT testing firms concerned. Under the new rulings this means that customers may not need their PAT testing carried out as regularly as risk assessments have decided that the test isn’t necessary. However, one of the most important things PAT companies should remember is that most companies won’t have the facility to carry out full risk assessments themselves, and now Megger’s Simon Wood is encouraged PAT testing firms to adopt full risk assessment procedures as a service they offer.

He says:

“PAT testing service providers can guide duty holders by alerting them to the types of factors that should be considered, and help to evaluate the significance of these factors.

“In other words, assisting with risk assessments is a new business opportunity and it’s one that, properly handled, should go a long way toward offsetting any loss of income that results from reduced re-test frequencies.

“And there’s another opportunity for PAT testing service providers, which, although it’s not new, is very important. There are still huge numbers of businesses and organisations in the UK that need PAT testing but either don’t know it or choose to ignore their responsibilities. In other words, the PAT testing market is by no means saturated and go-get service providers will be looking to grow their businesses by searching out these PAT test virgins.