Broadly, any electrical equipment that plugs into the mains and is used at work should be included in your maintenance regime. That covers far more than the obvious tools — extension leads, chargers, kettles, printers and vacuum cleaners all count.
What it does not cover is the building’s fixed wiring: sockets, light fittings and consumer units are inspected separately, under a different process.
What counts as a “portable appliance”?
The term is misleading. In practice the scope covers equipment connected to the mains by a plug and flexible cable, whether or not anyone actually carries it around. It is usually grouped like this:
| Category | Examples | Typical risk |
|---|---|---|
| Hand-held | Drills, sanders, grinders, hair dryers, irons | Highest — constant handling and cable strain |
| Portable | Vacuum cleaners, heaters, floor polishers, kettles | High — moved regularly |
| Movable | Small fridges, microwaves, some machines on wheels | Moderate |
| Stationary / fixed-position | Washing machines, large fridges, printers | Lower — rarely moved |
| IT equipment | PCs, monitors, laptop power supplies | Low in a dry office |
| Cables and leads | Extension leads, multi-way adaptors, IEC leads | Higher than people assume |
The items people forget
Four categories are routinely missed, and they matter:
1. Extension leads and multi-way adaptors
Trodden on, run over by chairs, coiled tightly, pulled from the socket by the cable, and often daisy-chained. They are among the most damaged items in any workplace and among the least likely to appear on an inventory. Include them.
2. Employee-owned equipment
Personal fans, desk lamps, phone chargers, heaters brought in during a cold spell. If it is used at work and plugged into your supply, it is within scope of your duty — even though you never bought it.
3. Hired and borrowed equipment
Tools hired for a job, or borrowed from another site, arrive with no history you can see. Check them on arrival rather than assuming the supplier did.
4. Rarely used items in storage
Equipment that sits in a cupboard for months then gets pulled out for one job. It has not been checked because nobody has been near it — which is exactly why it should be checked before use.
What about brand-new equipment?
New equipment supplied to a recognised standard should be safe when it arrives and does not normally need a full test before first use. A sensible approach is:
- Do a visual check on arrival — transit damage is real
- Record it on the inventory with its purchase date
- Set its first formal check according to its risk category, not automatically at twelve months
Applying a “tested” label to a brand-new kettle is theatre, not safety.
What is NOT included?
- Fixed electrical installation — the building wiring, sockets, switches, lighting circuits and consumer unit. These are covered by periodic inspection and testing of the installation (often called an EICR), which is separate work carried out by a qualified electrician.
- Equipment hard-wired into the installation — handled as part of the installation, though it still needs maintaining.
- Battery-powered equipment — a cordless drill itself is not mains-connected, but its charger is, and chargers are frequently damaged. Include the charger.
How to build the inventory
- Walk the site — do not work from a purchase ledger. You will find equipment nobody remembers buying.
- Record what it is, where it is, and who uses it
- Assign a risk category using the table above plus the environment
- Decide the level and frequency of check for each category, not each item
- Include leads and chargers as items in their own right
- Review when things change — new equipment, new premises, new type of work
An inventory that reflects what is actually plugged in is worth more than a perfect schedule applied to a list that is two years out of date.
Further reading
PAT Testing Awareness training
Our PAT Testing Awareness course covers equipment classes, what to include, the levels of inspection, and how the legal duty actually works.
Related reading: What is PAT testing? · Who can carry it out? · How often?
£9 per course. CPD accredited, 100 % online, verifiable e-certificate on completion. Pay for 2, get 3 — any 3 courses for £18.
Please note: this is a CPD awareness course. Where your role or scheme requires a regulated qualification or licence, that must come from an approved provider — always check your employer’s or scheme’s specific requirements.