PAT test for Musicians
If you are a musician, you are probably wondering why you would need to have a PAT test for Musicians. If you play an acoustic instrument or are a solo performer then you are in luck. This test is only for those who require an amplifier or any other form of electrical appliance as a part of their musical equipment. Such examples could include; amps (as referenced above), microphones, sound recording equipment, keyboards and lighting rigs etc. There is no legal requirement for anyone to have a PAT test performed and it is possible that, unless you are a landlord or a business owner, you have been unaware of its existence until now. However, there is a growing trend towards venues requiring that your gear has been checked for electrical safety and if you have ever had problems with venues regarding this issue, then the PAT test is the answer to your prayers.
PAT test for Musicians are carried out in two phases which have been designed to give comprehensive coverage to your expensive and often sentimentally valuable musical equipment. The first phase involves a visual inspection of the equipment and it will focus on the flex, the plug and the equipment itself. The checks will be looking for general wear and tear, exposed wires, correct wiring in the plug as well as the appropriate fuse being used. There will then be a series of electrical tests which are designed to ensure that the electricity is flowing through the equipment as it should be and will not cause any overheating or damage to occur. At the end of the test, your musical equipment will be issued with either a “pass” or a “fail” sticker and a report will be issued detailing the reasoning behind any decision which has been made.
If you are still in any doubt over the fact that your musical equipment needs to undergo a PAT test, you should consider that you are increasingly likely to encounter requests from venues that all of the electrical equipment you use complies with current Health and Safety legislation. Such legislation includes the Electricity at Work Regulations (1989) which will classify any paid gigs as your employment and thus require that the same safety standards are met.
The law will also hold the venue liable for not ensuring that the equipment you use is safe and for not checking that the potential for damage to the property, the venue staff, yourself and the audience to occur has been kept at a minimum. As more and more venues become accustomed to these policies they are protecting themselves as much as possible by checking your equipment complies with the legislation. The most simple and cost effective method of ensuring you do not miss out on any gigs is to have a PAT test for Musicians carried out for any and all electrical equipment that you use when you are on stage.
Make sure you are as safe as possible when you are performing by filling out our online form. My London Tradesmen will then contact companies on your behalf and bring back up to 3 quotes for you to consider. You will then be able to make an informed decision over which tradesman to employ to make sure your musical equipment is electrical appliance testing safe.
We realise that any equipment related to musical performances can be sensitive and needs to be handled with great care and consideration. As such we only use reputable and trustworthy tradesmen who have received up to date training and are registered with all the necessary bodies. This will ensure that they can provide a safe and thorough PAT test of your equipment.