What Appliances Need PAT Testing in a School?

Why electrical safety matters in schools

Schools have a duty of care to pupils, staff, and visitors under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Electrical faults are one of the leading causes of fires in educational buildings, and the volume and variety of electrical equipment in a typical school — from interactive whiteboards and computers to catering equipment and science lab apparatus — means that a structured approach to in-service inspection and testing is essential.

The governing body or academy trust, as the employer, holds ultimate responsibility for ensuring electrical equipment is maintained in a safe condition.

What counts as a portable appliance?

For the purposes of PAT testing (now more formally referred to as electrical equipment testing or EET under the IET 5th Edition), a portable appliance is any electrical equipment that is connected to the fixed electrical installation via a plug and socket. This includes equipment that is:

• Portable: designed to be moved during use (e.g. a handheld drill or vacuum cleaner)
• Movable: not fixed but capable of being moved (e.g. a freestanding fan or floor lamp)
• Stationary: not normally moved but connected via a plug (e.g. a fridge or photocopier)
• IT equipment: computers, monitors, printers, and peripherals
• Hand-held: tools and equipment held in the hand during use

Fixed electrical installations — wiring, sockets, and light fittings — are not covered by PAT testing and are subject to a separate periodic inspection and testing regime.

Appliances commonly found in schools

Classrooms

• Interactive whiteboards and projectors
• Desktop computers and monitors
• Laptops and tablets (when used with mains chargers)
• Printers and scanners
• Extension leads and multi-way adaptors
• Fans and portable heaters
• Audio-visual equipment (speakers, amplifiers, microphones)
• Sewing machines (in design and technology rooms)

Science laboratories

• Power packs and bench power supplies
• Oscilloscopes and signal generators
• Hotplates and heating mantles
• Centrifuges and microscopes with illuminators
• Fume cupboard motors and extraction fans
• Refrigerators and freezers used for specimen storage

Design and technology

• Lathes, drills, and pillar drills
• Soldering irons
• 3D printers
• Laser cutters
• Sanders, jigsaws, and routers

Catering and home economics

• Ovens, hobs, and microwaves
• Fridges and freezers
• Food mixers, blenders, and processors
• Toasters and kettles
• Dishwashers

Staff rooms and offices

• Kettles, toasters, and microwaves
• Desktop computers and monitors
• Printers and photocopiers
• Desk lamps and fans
• Phone chargers and docking stations

Sports and PE

• Timing equipment
• Electronic scoreboards
• Treadmills and exercise equipment
• PA systems used on playing fields

Grounds and maintenance

• Lawnmowers and strimmers
• Pressure washers
• Power tools used by site staff
• Extension leads used outdoors

Recommended testing intervals for schools

The IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (5th Edition) provides suggested testing intervals for educational establishments:

Equipment type	Suggested interval
IT equipment (computers, monitors, printers)	4 years
Class I equipment (earthed appliances)	12 months
Extension leads	12 months
Power tools and workshop equipment	6–12 months
Catering equipment	12 months
Science lab equipment	12 months
Outdoor and grounds equipment	6 months

These are suggested intervals based on a typical school environment. A documented risk assessment may justify different intervals. Equipment that is subject to heavy use, moved frequently, or used by pupils should generally be tested more often than equipment in low-risk, staff-only areas.

Class I vs Class II equipment

Understanding the difference between Class I and Class II equipment is important when planning a testing programme:

Class I equipment relies on an earth connection as part of its safety system. If the insulation fails, the earth conductor carries the fault current and trips the circuit breaker. Class I appliances have a three-core cable (live, neutral, earth) and a three-pin plug. Examples include most catering equipment, floor-standing equipment, and older IT equipment. Class I appliances require both a visual inspection and an earth continuity and insulation resistance test.

Class II equipment (double insulated) does not rely on an earth connection. It has reinforced or double insulation as its primary protection. Class II appliances typically have a two-core cable and are marked with the double-insulation symbol (a square within a square). Many modern IT devices and power tools are Class II. Class II appliances still require a visual inspection and an insulation resistance test, but no earth continuity test is needed.

Who is responsible for PAT testing in a school?

The employer — which in a maintained school is typically the local authority or governing body, and in an academy is the academy trust — is responsible for ensuring that electrical equipment is maintained safely. In practice, this responsibility is usually delegated to the headteacher or the school business manager.

The actual testing must be carried out by a competent person. The IET defines competence as having sufficient knowledge and experience to carry out the work safely and correctly. For a school with a large volume of equipment, this typically means engaging a specialist contractor rather than relying on a member of site staff.

What about pupil-owned equipment?

Equipment brought in by pupils — laptops, phone chargers, musical instruments with amplifiers — is not the school's property, but the school still has a duty of care. Many schools include a clause in their acceptable use policy requiring pupil-owned equipment to be PAT tested before it is used on school premises, or they carry out a visual inspection before allowing it to be plugged in.

What about equipment brought in by contractors?

Contractors working on school premises are responsible for ensuring their own equipment is safe. Schools should ask contractors to confirm that their equipment has been tested and is in good condition before allowing them to work on site. This is particularly relevant during building works or maintenance periods.

Record keeping

Schools should maintain a register of all tested equipment, recording the appliance description, asset number, location, date of test, test result, and the tester's name. This register is your evidence of compliance and should be made available to the HSE, your insurer, and Ofsted if requested.

A well-maintained asset register also helps with budget planning — you can see at a glance which equipment is approaching the end of its useful life and plan replacements accordingly.

How Maritime Electrical Services can help

We provide PAT testing for schools across Kent, London, Essex, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex, and Hertfordshire. Our engineers hold enhanced DBS certificates and are experienced in working in educational environments, including during term time with minimal disruption to lessons.

We test all appliance classes, provide a full asset register on completion, and issue pass and fail labels for every item tested. Contact us for a quote or to discuss your school's requirements.