Pat Testing Is It Required

[smiffffffy]

Can someone tell me if i need to get homemade lights pat tested prior to selling them at craft fairs and shops in the longer term.
I have purchased pre-wired plug cord and inline switches from a uk based lamp spares company and i am then fitting these to a bayonet or e27 lamp holder, creating a lamp from items such as skateboards and vinyl record based lampshades.
Do these items require pat testing. the internet is a little vague and states in places that pat testing is not a legal requirement unless in a business environment such as pc's and electrical equipment being used by staff.
Thanks in advance

[chelle7272]

Some info on this site
http://www.woodturned.co.uk/html/table_lamp_wiring.html

[Buenchico]

Portable appliance testing (in ANY environment) is NOT, per se, compulsory. That's confirmed on the website of the Health & Safety Executive:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/faq-portable-appliance-testing.htm

However there's a general legal duty to ensure that anything which is offered for sale to the public is safe to use, so PAT testing is regarded as the best way to comply with that requirement.

As an analogy, the majority of charity shops won't sell mains-powered electrical equipment because they've not got anyone to carry out PAT tests on such items. However I know of one charity shop in Stowmarket (which is run in aid of a major charity but not directly by that charity) which sells loads of untested electrical items. I think that they're mad to do so but, unless it can be shown that they've sold an unsafe item, they're not actually breaking the law.

[smiffffffy]

Please can you chat elswhere. This is about pat tezting requirements.

[Islay]

PAT testing is a legal requirement if the items is a year old in a workplace environment - so if the plug cords are new and under a year old they should not need testing

[chelle7272]

Islay PAT testing is not a legal requirement, only that items are safe.
HSE website:
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require that any electrical equipment that has the potential to cause injury is maintained in a safe condition. However, the Regulations do not specify what needs to be done, by whom or how frequently (ie they don't make inspection or testing of electrical appliances a legal requirement, nor do they make it a legal requirement to undertake this annually).

[youngmafbog]

But they should be CE approved. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ce-marking

Be careful of selling any electrical goods if you dont know their origin and they dont have the proper stamps on them.

Cause a fire through a faulty item and you could have big trouble, ensure you have good insurance too.

Slightly different but as an electrician I need to have a min of £2m cover.

[Islay]

Sorry Chelle I was going on what happens in our office and the information that is given out to us.
As in that unless it is a year old there is no legal requirement - those are the words lifted from an email that went round at Christmas.

[Prudie]

In all the businesses I have and currently work in it's a requirement to have all electrical items PAT tested and it's done by the company from new so not the responsibility of the seller. Different items are done at different intervals, some 6 months, most a year and some every 3 years.