Oxford college utilises PAT tester

An integrated electrical testing package from Seaward is helping an historic Oxford college ensure the safety of all on-site electrical appliances used by students and visitors.

As part of a preventative maintenance programme, Pembroke College is meeting its health and safety obligations by using advanced test technology in the shape of the Seaward Apollo 600 supported by specialist PATGuard 3 test management software.

The college has around 600 students and also hosts regular conferences and special events in its prestigious buildings.

The inspection and maintenance of electrical equipment is therefore an ongoing and almost continuous process including the full range of IT, office, audio visual and kitchen appliances, as well as light industrial equipment and power tools used in the college’s workshops.

Around 3,000 appliances are tested each year, with the work being carried out by the college’s in- house maintenance and facilities team.

The focal point of the portable appliance testing programme is the Seaward Apollo 600 tester. The battery powered and lightweight tester includes all of the electrical safety tests required by the IET Code of Practice.

In addition, the tester includes an onboard digital camera, to help those involved in maintaining safety demonstrate compliance with all the latest guidance on electrical inspection and testing.

As part of the full PAT support package provided by Seaward, specialist product training and familiarisation was provided to ensure that the tester was used to its full capability and also allows non-electrical maintenance team members to carry out testing.

As testing is carried out, results and equipment information is stored in the large internal memory in the Apollo 600 and transferred to the PATGuard 3 results management software to enable formal records, test certificates and reports to be maintained.

This integrated PAT system not only means that an equipment register with test records can be created and updated automatically, but that all work can be planned and co-ordinated effectively, enabling appliance testing to be carried out as part of a methodical and ongoing maintenance programme.

Tim Walker, maintenance supervisor at Pembroke College, said: “Maintaining a safe environment for students, staff and visitors is essential and portable appliance testing is an important part of our overall health and safety policies.

“The college accommodation and meeting facilities are in use almost all-year round and gaining access to some rooms can be difficult. There is also a wide variety of appliances and electrical equipment in use and items can be moved around, so it is essential to be able track and identify equipment to ensure that everything is regularly tested.

“The combination of lightweight and battery powered testing, alongside the test and tag printer, gives us the maximum portability, speed and versatility we need to achieve this.

“Simple push button testing and easy, intuitive operation of the software provides an integrated system that is helping us to take a more organised approach to safety testing and ensure an electrically safe working environment for all our college users.”

The Apollo 600 tester and PATGuard3 programme forms part of Seaward’s comprehensive range of portable appliance test instrumentation, software, accessories and training packages.