What a PAT Testing Report Actually Is (and What It Is Not)
A PAT testing report, sometimes called an in-service inspection and testing record, is a written record of the visual inspection and, where applicable, the instrument-based tests carried out on portable electrical appliances. It documents the condition of each appliance at the point of testing, records pass or fail outcomes against defined acceptance criteria, and identifies any remedial action required. It is not a certificate of ongoing safety. It records the condition on the day of test, nothing more.
The term PAT, meaning Portable Appliance Testing, is widely used but is not itself a statutory term. The underlying obligation comes from Regulation 4(2) of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, which requires that electrical equipment used at work be maintained in a condition that is safe so far as is reasonably practicable. The report is the documentary evidence that you have done that maintenance check. Without it, you cannot demonstrate compliance.
There is a persistent myth that PAT testing is a legal requirement for all businesses. It is not. What is a legal requirement is that electrical equipment used at work is maintained safely. PAT testing is the recognised way of demonstrating that maintenance has taken place, particularly for portable appliances. The report is the record of that process, and for any electrician carrying out the work as a service, it is the deliverable the client is paying for.
The Legal Framework: Which Regulations Apply
The primary legislation underpinning PAT testing work is the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, made under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Regulation 4(2) of the 1989 Regulations is the key provision. It states that, as regards the use of a system at work, it shall be maintained so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, such danger. The Health and Safety Executive treats the production of a contemporaneous test record as the standard way of demonstrating compliance with this duty.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 sits above the 1989 Regulations and imposes broader duties on employers and the self-employed. Under section 3 of the 1974 Act, a sole-trader electrician carrying out PAT testing as a service must conduct that work in a way that does not expose their client or the client's employees to risks to their health and safety. Producing an inaccurate or incomplete report that leads a client to believe a faulty appliance has passed could constitute a breach of this duty.
For landlords and managing agents who commission PAT testing, the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 are also relevant context. While those Regulations specifically govern EICR obligations, they reflect the broader regulatory trend towards documentary evidence of electrical safety. Local authorities can impose remediation notices and fines of up to £30,000 for failures under those Regulations. Your PAT report may be referenced alongside an EICR in a landlord's overall safety file, so its quality reflects on the whole picture.
As the tester, you are also bound by the duty under section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to take reasonable care of your own actions. If you sign off a pass on an appliance that has a visually obvious defect, you are potentially personally liable. The report is not just a piece of paperwork for the client; it is your own professional record.
- •Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Regulation 4(2): maintain electrical equipment to prevent danger so far as reasonably practicable.
- •Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 3: duty not to expose non-employees to health and safety risks.
- •Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 7: personal duty of reasonable care in carrying out work.
- •Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020: up to £30,000 fines for electrical safety failures in rented property, relevant context for landlord clients.
What a Compliant PAT Testing Report Must Contain
There is no single prescribed form for a PAT testing report in UK legislation, but the HSE's guidance publication HSG107, alongside the IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (5th Edition), sets out what a competent report should include. A report that omits key fields is not just unprofessional; it could be challenged as insufficient evidence of compliance.
Every report must identify the tester, the site, the client, and the date. It must list each appliance tested with a unique identifier, its description, and its location. For each appliance it must record the visual inspection outcome, any instrument test results (earth continuity resistance in ohms, insulation resistance in megaohms, and where applicable the earth leakage or touch current in milliamps), the overall pass or fail result, and any remedial action recommended or taken.
The report should also state the re-test frequency recommended, the equipment used for testing (including the PAT tester make and model and its last calibration date), and the tester's signature. Missing the calibration date for the test instrument is one of the most common oversights, and it matters: if a reading is queried later, you need to be able to show the equipment was in calibration at the time of test.
- •Tester name, qualifications, and signature
- •Client name, site address, and date of test
- •Unique appliance ID (asset number or label number)
- •Appliance description and make/model where known
- •Location of appliance within premises
- •Visual inspection result (pass/fail and notes on any defects)
- •Earth continuity resistance (ohms)
- •Insulation resistance (megaohms)
- •Leakage/touch current (milliamps) where applicable
- •Overall pass or fail
- •Remedial action required or taken
- •Recommended re-test date
- •PAT tester make, model, and calibration date
Acceptance Criteria: What Are the Pass/Fail Values
The IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment sets out the standard acceptance criteria used across the industry. For earth continuity, the acceptable limit for Class I appliances is typically 0.1 ohms plus the resistance of the supply lead. In practice, for most appliances tested with a standard 1.5 square millimetre lead up to five metres, a reading at or below 0.5 ohms is generally considered a pass, but you must apply judgement based on lead length and conductor cross-section.
For insulation resistance, the standard requirement is a minimum of 1 megaohm when tested at 500 V DC for most Class I and Class II appliances. Some appliance types, particularly those with noise filters or surge suppressors, will give lower readings that are still acceptable. You need to know the appliance type before you condemn it on a reading alone. If in doubt, apply a substitute leakage test.
Touch current limits for Class I equipment are typically below 0.75 mA and for Class II equipment below 0.25 mA under normal conditions, with higher limits permissible under single-fault conditions. These figures come from the relevant BS EN product standards rather than from one single universal rule, so always cross-reference the appliance category. Record the actual measured value, not just pass or fail, so that trends can be identified on retesting.
How to Fill In Each Field: A Field-by-Field Guide
The client name and address fields seem obvious, but always record the registered business name or landlord's full name rather than a trading name or informal reference. If the report is ever needed as evidence in a dispute, having 'Dave's Cafe' instead of 'David A. Thornton t/a Dave's Cafe' can create unnecessary confusion about who commissioned the work.
For appliance ID, use the label number you physically attach to the appliance during testing. Never leave this blank or write 'see attached list' without the list actually being attached. The ID is the link between the physical label on the appliance and the line on the report. If that link breaks, the report is worthless for any auditing purpose.
When recording test results, always write the actual measured value rather than just a tick. A tick against earth continuity tells you nothing. Writing 0.23 ohms tells you, the client, and any future auditor exactly what condition the appliance was in on that date. If you are filling in a paper or spreadsheet template, resist the temptation to batch-enter results at the end of the day. Record readings in real time. Errors introduced by trying to recall 40 appliance readings from memory are a significant source of inaccurate reports.
The recommended re-test interval should be based on the risk category of the environment. A construction site or commercial kitchen warrants a much shorter interval than a low-risk office. The IET Code of Practice provides guidance tables. Do not simply write '12 months' for everything as a default; document your reasoning briefly in the notes field, particularly for higher-risk environments where you have recommended a shorter interval than the standard.
PAT Testing Report Template: Ready to Copy
The following is a complete worked example of a PAT testing report for a small commercial premises. Every field is included. Copy the structure directly or adapt it to your own branding.
This example covers a hypothetical test carried out on 14 July 2025 at a small catering business. The test involved six appliances. The tester is a sole-trader electrician with a City and Guilds 2377 qualification. Two appliances pass cleanly, two require notation, and one fails and is removed from service.
Use this as the basis for your own paper or digital template. The column headers and structure are what matter; the specific values are illustrative.
- •DOCUMENT TITLE: In-Service Inspection and Testing Report (Portable Appliances)
- •---
- •TESTER DETAILS
- •Tester name: J. Hargreaves
- •Trading name: Hargreaves Electrical
- •Qualification: City and Guilds 2377-22 (In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment)
- •Contact: 07700 900141 | j.hargreaves@example.co.uk
- •---
- •CLIENT DETAILS
- •Client name: Maria Kowalski t/a The Corner Kitchen
- •Site address: 14 Bridge Street, Leeds, LS1 4DZ
- •Contact name: Maria Kowalski
- •---
- •TEST DETAILS
- •Date of test: 14 July 2025
- •PAT tester make/model: Seaward Apollo 600
- •PAT tester serial number: AP6-00482
- •Last calibration date: 03 January 2025 (calibration due: 03 January 2026)
- •Test voltage (insulation): 500 V DC
- •---
- •APPLIANCE REGISTER
- •
- •Asset ID | Description | Make/Model | Location | Visual | Earth (ohms) | Insulation (MOhm) | Touch Current (mA) | Result | Action | Retест Due
- •
- •KIT-001 | 4-slice toaster | Dualit Classic | Prep area | Pass | 0.18 | 4.7 | N/A (Class I) | PASS | None | July 2026
- •
- •KIT-002 | Bench mixer | KitchenAid KSM150 | Prep area | Pass | 0.24 | 3.2 | N/A (Class I) | PASS | None | July 2026
- •
- •KIT-003 | Microwave oven | Panasonic NN-E271 | Counter | Pass | 0.31 | 1.8 | 0.41 | PASS | Recommend lead inspection at next service | July 2026
- •
- •KIT-004 | Coffee grinder | Sage BCG820 | Counter | Fail: supply lead outer sheath damaged exposing inner insulation | Not tested (visual fail) | Not tested | Not tested | FAIL | Appliance removed from service. Do not use until repaired by competent person. Label affixed: DO NOT USE. | N/A
- •
- •KIT-005 | Extension lead (4-gang, 2m) | Masterplug | Office | Pass | 0.09 | 2.1 | N/A | PASS | None | January 2026 (higher-use environment, 6-month interval applied)
- •
- •KIT-006 | Laptop charger (Class II) | Dell LA65NS2-01 | Office | Pass (Class II, no earth test applicable) | N/A | 5.4 | 0.11 | PASS | None | July 2026
- •---
- •SUMMARY
- •Total appliances tested: 6
- •Pass: 5
- •Fail: 1 (KIT-004, removed from service)
- •Remedial action outstanding: 1 (KIT-004 to be repaired before return to service)
- •---
- •TESTER DECLARATION
- •I confirm that the above appliances were inspected and tested in accordance with the IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (5th Edition) and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. Results are accurate to the best of my knowledge at the date and time of test.
- •
- •Signature: J. Hargreaves
- •Date: 14 July 2025
- •---
- •CLIENT RECEIPT
- •I acknowledge receipt of this report.
- •Client signature: ________________________
- •Date: ________________________
Common Mistakes That Will Invalidate or Weaken Your Report
The most common mistake is recording tick boxes rather than actual measured values. A tick against 'insulation resistance' means nothing if the value was 0.8 megaohms, which is below the 1 megaohm minimum for most Class I appliances, and you ticked pass anyway because you were moving quickly. Always record the number.
The second most common mistake is failing to record the calibration date of the PAT tester. If a result is disputed, the client or an HSE inspector will ask when the instrument was last calibrated. If you cannot answer that question from the report itself, your test results are scientifically questionable. Keep your PAT tester's calibration certificate in your job folder and note the calibration date on every report.
A third common error is not assigning unique asset IDs before testing begins, then trying to match results to appliances afterwards. If you test 30 kettles in a hotel kitchen and do not label them before you start, you cannot reliably say which reading belongs to which appliance. Label first, test second, record as you go.
Finally, many sole traders forget to record the reason for a recommended re-test interval where it differs from the standard. If you recommend a six-month interval for a construction site rather than the standard twelve months, note the environmental risk factors that drove that decision. If you are ever challenged, that note is the difference between a defensible professional judgement and an unexplained deviation.
- •Recording ticks instead of actual measured values (ohms, megaohms, milliamps)
- •Omitting the PAT tester calibration date
- •Not assigning and attaching asset ID labels before testing starts
- •Applying identical re-test intervals regardless of risk environment without justification
- •Leaving the visual inspection notes field blank for failed appliances
- •Not getting the client to sign the receipt section
- •Using a template that has no tester qualification field
Penalties and Enforcement: What Happens If You Get It Wrong
The HSE enforces the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 under the powers granted by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. An inspector who finds that electrical equipment at a workplace has not been properly maintained and that there is no documentary evidence of inspection and testing can issue an Improvement Notice requiring remediation within a specified timeframe, or a Prohibition Notice stopping use of the equipment immediately. Failure to comply with an Improvement Notice is a criminal offence under section 33 of the 1974 Act and can result in an unlimited fine in the Crown Court, or a fine of up to £20,000 in a magistrates court, plus up to 12 months' imprisonment.
For sole-trader testers rather than the end-user client, the risk is civil liability. If an appliance you tested and passed subsequently causes injury or fire, the quality of your report is the first thing that will be examined. An inaccurate pass result, or a report so thin that it cannot demonstrate what tests were actually carried out, gives a claimant's solicitor grounds to argue negligence. Your public liability insurance will be your first line of defence, but insurers can and do challenge claims where the professional's documentation is inadequate.
Consider a worked example. An electrician charges £150 for a PAT test of 25 appliances at a small office on 10 March 2025. On 8 April 2025, a Class I floor lamp that was given a pass causes a fire attributed to insulation breakdown. The client's insurer asks to see the test report. If the report shows only a tick for insulation resistance with no recorded value, and the PAT tester's last calibration date is not recorded, the insurer has grounds to question whether the test was conducted competently. The electrician's own insurer may then seek to apportion liability. The £150 fee does not begin to cover the exposure.
The HSE also has the power under section 25 of the 1974 Act to seize and render harmless any article that it believes is likely to cause imminent danger of serious personal injury. While this power is aimed at the article rather than the tester's documentation, it illustrates the seriousness with which electrical safety at work is treated in the UK regulatory framework.
How Often Should PAT Testing Be Done and What Records to Keep
There is no single statutory frequency for PAT testing. The required interval depends on the type of appliance, the environment it is used in, and the way it is used. The IET Code of Practice provides a risk-based framework. A low-risk office environment with IT equipment and desk lamps might justify a 24-month interval for Class II equipment, whereas a construction site or commercial kitchen with frequent handling of Class I equipment in wet or high-impact conditions might require testing every three to six months.
From a sole-trader business perspective, you should retain copies of every PAT testing report you produce for a minimum of six years. This aligns with the general limitation period under contract law and means that if a civil claim arises from work you did in year one, you have the documentation to defend it in year six. Store copies securely, whether paper files in a cabinet or digital records on a cloud platform. Paper reports left in a van or uploaded to a phone that later breaks are not adequate archiving.
Some clients, particularly facilities managers and letting agents, will ask for reports in a specific format or require reports to be uploaded to their own management systems. If you are doing volume PAT work for commercial clients, agreeing the format upfront saves re-work later. A digital report that produces a PDF and sends it automatically to the client on completion is far more efficient than hand-written sheets that need to be scanned and emailed the following day.
PAT Testing Reports and Your Wider Electrical Business Records
If your qualifying income as a sole trader exceeds £50,000 per year, you are required to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD ITSA) compatible software for quarterly digital filing from 6 April 2026. If your income is above £30,000, the same requirement applies from April 2027. This affects how you keep your business records generally, including job records, invoices, and receipts. A digital PAT testing system that ties test records to job records and invoices will sit naturally alongside MTD-compatible bookkeeping software, whereas a paper-only system creates a disconnect between your compliance documentation and your tax records.
This is not about adding complexity. It is about the fact that if you are doing PAT testing at scale, the job record and the invoice and the test report should all reference the same job number. When HMRC or an HSE inspector asks about a specific job, you want to be able to pull everything together in under a minute, not spend an afternoon searching through different filing systems.
Good record-keeping also has a direct commercial benefit. A professional-looking, fully completed PAT testing report, delivered promptly, is the product the client is buying. A scrappy, hand-written sheet with gaps in the data reflects poorly on your business regardless of how technically accurate the underlying test was.
Generate a Compliant PAT Testing Report in About Two Minutes
TradeDoc AI generates a compliant PAT testing report in about two minutes. It is free for your first 100 documents a month, no card required at sign-up, and all four UK trades are covered in one place. If you want your logo on the PDF and one-tap email send to the customer, Pro is £15 per month. You can find it at tradedoc.co.uk.
