PAT Testing Case Study

HMS Border Force

HMS Valiant is a Border Force Cutter of the British Naval Fleet. Valiant patrols UK and foreign waters carrying out Border protection tasks to deter and prevent individuals and goods that would harm the national interests of the UK.

Why do they PAT Test?

HMS Valiant is a workplace for its sailors, the sailor’s employer is the UK Government. As with any workplace the employer has a responsibility to ensure that the electrical appliances provided are maintained in a safe condition. PAT Testing electrical appliances forms an integral part of ensuring that the appliances are maintained in a safe condition.

Additionally, PAT Testing is a means for the employer to prove that they are taking steps to inspect and test their electrical appliance to keep them in a safe condition.

HMS Border Force’s PAT Testing Requirements

As with any active Navy vessel its main objective is to patrol at sea rather than being at the dock side. As such HMS Border Force required a swift PAT Testing Service to allow a fast turn around and so that they could get back out to sea.

The opportunity for the PAT Test came about during a period of high winds when the vessel unexpectedly had to dock in Ipswich Marina. HMS Border Force then went on the hunt for a PAT Testing company in Ipswich who could provide a PAT Testing service at short notice with a swift turnaround.

How did ACA’s PAT Testing Service help?

On receiving the request for PAT Testing from HMS Border Force ACA Health & Safety Services had a PAT Tester on the ship within a matter of hours.

How long did the PAT Testing take?

On arrival at the ship it was great to see that the crew on board HMS Border Force had prepared most of the electrical appliance for PAT Testing, by untangling cables and laying out tools that are normally in tool boxes. This preparation allowed ACA to reduce the time taken to PAT Test, and the appliances were PAT Tested within a few hours.

Unique Challenges of PAT Testing on a Ship

As you can imagine PAT Testing on a ship presented its own unique challenges when compared to PAT Testing an office for example.

The biggest PAT Testing challenge faced was that the large appliances that are usually movable such as fridges, freezers, and washing machines were all fastened to the floor to prevent movement at sea. As such the ACA PAT Tester had to work alongside the HMS Border Force Engineer to unfasten the appliances allowing full access to them for PAT Testing.