There is a lot of confusion about the law on portable appliance testing in Ireland, partly because no regulation mentions "PAT testing" by name. What the law does require is that employers keep electrical equipment safe, and testing is how that duty is met. This guide sets out the legislation that applies, what it obliges an employer to do, and why there is no single legal testing interval.
The legislation that applies
Two instruments frame electrical safety at work in Ireland. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 is the overarching law, placing a duty on employers to protect the safety, health and welfare of their employees so far as is reasonably practicable. Underneath it, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, S.I. No. 299 of 2007, set out specific requirements, including a part dealing with electricity.
The electrical provisions require that electrical equipment is constructed, installed, maintained and used so as to prevent danger. That maintenance duty is the legal root of appliance testing, even though the phrase "PAT testing" never appears.
The employer's duty
The practical effect is that an employer must ensure the electrical equipment used at work is safe and kept in a safe condition. That means having a system to identify faults and take unsafe equipment out of use, which in practice is user checks, visual inspection and testing. The employer cannot simply assume equipment is fine; they must be able to show they have managed the risk.
This is a duty of active management, not a box-ticking exercise. It expects an employer to think about the equipment they have, the environment it is used in, and the level of checking that keeps it safe.
Why there is no fixed testing interval
People often ask how often the law says appliances must be tested, and the answer is that it does not set a fixed period. The frequency is risk-based, and it should reflect the type of equipment and how it is used. A power tool on a construction site, dragged around and exposed to damage, needs checking far more often than a desktop computer that never moves in a clean office.
This risk-based approach is more sensible than a single legal interval, but it puts the onus on the employer to decide, justify and document appropriate frequencies. Guidance and experience inform those intervals, but the responsibility for setting them sits with the duty holder.
The competent person
The law expects inspection and testing to be carried out by a competent person, someone with the knowledge, training and equipment to do it safely and interpret the results correctly. Competence is the key word. It is not defined by a single certificate, but structured training and the right instrument are how most people reach and demonstrate it.
Records: showing you complied
Because the duty is about managing risk, being able to prove you did so matters. Keeping records of what was inspected and tested, when, by whom and with what result, is what demonstrates compliance to an inspector or an insurer. Good records also drive the retest schedule and flag equipment that keeps failing. If a problem ever arises, the records are your evidence that you took reasonable care.
FAQs
Does Irish law require PAT testing?
Not by that name. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the General Application Regulations 2007 require employers to keep electrical equipment safe and maintained. PAT testing is the accepted way to meet and evidence that duty.
How often must appliances be tested?
There is no fixed legal interval. Frequency is risk-based, depending on the type of equipment and its environment. Higher-risk equipment is checked more often, and the employer decides and documents appropriate intervals.
Who can carry out the testing?
A competent person: someone with the training, knowledge and equipment to inspect and test safely and interpret the results. It does not require one specific qualification, but proper training is the reliable route to competence.
If you want to meet your duty with confidence, talk to us about testers, training and the calibration that keeps your results defensible.