BSS and IEE testing

[lrosie1]

My uni is saying all electrical items im taking have to be BSS tested or IEE or Pat tested? can anybody tell me what this means and how i find out something has this? thanks

[SteveSxx]

Institute of Electrical Engineers and British Standards are standards for electrical safety - I would imagine that everything that you are taking to uni will be originally tested by them (not the actual item - but several from a batch) so I wouldn't worry - the uni just wants to cover its own back in the event of an electrical fire
They may pick on some students to check their equipment is safe though

[Big Al1st]

Every electrical item that works off mains electricity has to be Pat tested or similar. It is a basic test, done by people who have been trained for this purpose, to see that electrical plugs have been wired up correctly, correct value of fuse is being used, and to test whether there is any conductivity between live and earth. The item then has a little label stuck on it to say everything is AOK.
The reason why the Uni is stating that everything must be tested that is being taken into Uni is a) to ensure meets with current regulations and b) they dont have to pay for the testing of other peoples equipment.
Note this includes kettles, toasters ect. Rgds Al

[alvin100]

PAT stands for portable appliance testing, It applies to any item that can be unplugged from the mains (i.e its portable)

This little regulation has to be one of the great modern pointless rip offs, as companies come in and charge between �1 and �5 per item to do a simple test, If you have a workshop full of electrical equipment, test gear, soldering kit etc plus the kettle, fridge, microwave,etc it can get very expensive. Most equipment that fails the test usually has obvious defects, such as a burnt or cut cable or plug not correctly fitted.