PAT Test For DJs
If you are a DJ and ply your trade in the United Kingdom, then you are required to ensure that your electrical equipment complies with the latest health and safety regulations regarding electrical appliances in the workplace. The most efficient manner of achieving this is to commission a PAT test for all of your DJ equipment.
Do not be deceived into believing that it is a legal requirement to have a portable appliance test performed. It is not stated in any legislation that any one test is compulsory. The legislation only asserts that some form of testing be performed regularly by someone who is trained and certified to do so, in order to ensure that your DJ equipment is safe for use. The myth surrounding the obligation to have a PAT Test has arisen due to the simple reason that PAT testing is such an efficient and comprehensive method of assessment and it covers all aspects of the relevant health and safety legislation. In other words, it is not an official requirement but its popularity and usefulness makes it an unofficial necessity.
You may be wondering why DJs would be required to obtain certification regarding the safety of their electrical appliances and equipment. The fact is that more and more venues are requiring those performing to have complied fully with legislations such as the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and the Electricity at Work Regulations (1989). This is to ensure that they have complied with their legal duties as owners of the property to guarantee, as far as possible, that only safe electrical appliances are in use in the workplace. Under the current legislation, the workplace, in this instance, would be defined as the club or venue which you are being paid to DJ in.
Being a DJ it is vital to make sure your electrical equipment is safe, secure, and compliant with the current legislation. This is especially important for DJs given the sheer volume of appliances which surround you while you perform. Under a PAT test, any piece of equipment under 18kg with a plug, including; amplifiers, cables and connectors, CD players, mixers, audio interfaces, samplers, speakers, Keyboards and Keyboard synthesizers, lamps, lighting controllers, smoke machines, bubble machines etc. will all be subject to complete visual and electronic testing. This is to guarantee, as far as is practicable, your safety as well as the safety of the audience and venue staff from potentially fatal injury due to an electrical hazard.
As briefly mentioned above, the PAT test consists of two parts. The first aspect of the PAT test is a visual inspection of all devices and cables which will be utilised as a part of your DJ performance. In this stage of testing the focus is primarily searching for any damage to the flex, any exposed wiring, and any issues with the wiring or the fuse in the plug head. The second stage will require each electrical device being plugged into a specially designed appliance to check the flow of electricity and see if there are any faults developing in the tested equipment. These tests can take up to a couple of hours, depending on the volume of appliances being checked in the PAT test.
In order to ensure that the gear you use when you DJ is up to the legally required standards, start the process of arranging for a PAT test by filling in our online form. My London Tradesmen will contact companies on your behalf and supply you with up to 3 quotes, leaving you to make an informed decision based on the quotes you have received.
All of the tradesmen we use have received up to date training and are registered with all the necessary bodies. We only use reputable and trustworthy tradesmen.