Applying technology appropriately

Portable appliance testing

This sub-page of What is about the testing of portable electrical appliances

Pricing (as at October 2016)

General

• A minimum charge of £40 per visit applies
• Parking and other incidental costs will be reclaimed.
• Charge option 1: £0.50 per mile + £1.50 per device
• Charge option 2: £50 per hour including travel (rounded up to 1/4 hour)
• Non-testing time (time spent waiting for or helping to make items available, helping re-connect computers etc.) will be charged extra.
• Items with a detachable mains cord count as one if tested together unless a fault is found, in which case each will be tested and charged separately.
• To re-wire or replace a plug where agreed with customer's representative: Included unless a heavy duty plug is required.
• Nomaz is not VAT registered so VAT will not be added.

For Churches and Charities

• 10% discount on all charges except direct costs.

Procedure

Items should be readily available and presented for testing by customer's representative. A suitable location including a table and adjacent main power must be provided.

• Only items with a 13 amp mains plug or IEC plug (e.g computer to monitor power leads - not now common) will be tested. It is recommended that appliances which are wired in be tested by others during a fixed wiring check.
• Items should to be made available to the tester at the work station as required.
• Unless items are pre-numbered each will be given a serial number and a sticker with that number applied (unless impracticable).
• Items checked will be labelled PASS or FAIL, with a date.
• If a satisfactory paper schedule of items is provided, the tester will use it to record results. Otherwise, he will create one. Descriptions of items may be approximate.
• The tester will keep the completed schedule for his own records and will provide a copy to the customer.

Liability

• The tester will endeavour to comply with the requirements of the IEE Code of Practice for in-service inspection and testing of Electrical Equipment.
• Items which fail will be labelled accordingly and should not be used again unless repaired and certified by a qualified person.
• Though the tests applied (using a specialist testing unit) are generally safe, it is possible that damage could occur to equipment, particularly if a fault condition already exists. No liability can be accepted in this case.
• It must be understood that items may deteriorate between tests due to wear and tear, accidental damage etc., and that the tester has no responsibility except as regards the condition of items at the time of testing. Testing does however mitigate the probability of any person receiving electrical shock and of other problems (such as fire) arising due to internal faults.
• It is the responsibility of all users of electrical equipment to visually inspect items used and to withdraw from use any item which has a damaged casing or exposed wiring (either actual bare metal or the inner coloured insulation in a flexible cable). In particular, a check should be made (a) for any damage to a plug and (b) that the outer insulation of a flexible cable is held firmly in place by the "cord grip" in the plug.