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PAT record-keeping guide

PAT certificates and test records: what to include

A useful PAT record tells the next competent person what was examined, what was measured, what happened and where the item was. It does not need to pretend there is one statutory certificate layout.

Last reviewed: 31 August 2026 · HSE sources checked: 31 August 2026

What “PAT” covers

Portable appliance testing is common shorthand for checking the safety of in-service electrical equipment. The right approach may include user checks, a formal visual inspection and electrical tests. HSE notes that some faults are visible and some can only be found by testing, so a reading on its own is not a complete account of the examination.

Useful fields for a certificate or test record

The fields should help identify the job and item, reconstruct the competent person’s decision and make any required action obvious. Useful groups include:

• Job: client, site, address, test date and the person who carried out the work.
• Item: asset ID, description, location, make, model, serial number and equipment class where relevant.
• Examination: the visual checks performed and any defect or limitation found.
• Measurements: the test performed, reading and unit, with enough context to interpret it correctly.
• Outcome: pass, fail or another clearly defined result, plus the action taken for an unsafe or unavailable item.
• Follow-up: the next review or test decision and the risk factors used, where the duty-holder chooses to record them.

Not every field or electrical test applies to every item. Equipment construction, environment, use and previous results all matter. The competent person should choose and interpret the checks, rather than treating a template as a test procedure.

Make failed items difficult to miss

A failed result should remain understandable without colour. Use a written result, the defect or reading that led to it, and the immediate action taken. If an item was removed from service, isolated, repaired or referred to someone else, say so. A certificate that buries a failed row among passes is hard to act on.

Do not turn the next date into a universal rule

HSE guidance puts the retest decision with the duty-holder, informed by risk. Equipment type, construction, working environment, frequency of use, user behaviour and earlier fault rates can all change the interval. HSG107 says suggested starting intervals are not legal requirements and should be reviewed against experience.

Keep records usable outside the software

Before relying on any record system, export a real job and open the result elsewhere. A PDF is useful for a fixed, human-readable certificate. A structured export such as CSV is useful for sorting, checking and moving rows. A complete backup serves a different purpose: restoring the working data, relationships and attachments after loss or replacement.

Store copies in a location the responsible organisation controls, use clear filenames and retain the context that links each item to its site, test session and result.