Portable Appliance Register: Template and Guide for Businesses

Portable Appliance Register Guide

A portable appliance register is a record of all portable electrical equipment in your workplace, along with inspection and test results. Maintaining an accurate register is a key part of your electrical safety management and provides essential evidence of compliance.

Why You Need a Register

A portable appliance register serves several purposes:

• Compliance evidence: Demonstrates to inspectors and insurers that you maintain your electrical equipment
• Asset tracking: Gives you a clear picture of what equipment you have and where it is
• Testing schedule: Helps you plan when equipment is due for re-testing
• Fault tracking: Shows the history of each appliance, including any previous failures or repairs
• Budget planning: Identifies ageing equipment that may need replacing

What to Include

A good portable appliance register should record the following for each item:

• Unique ID number: A number that matches the label on the appliance
• Description: What the appliance is (e.g., "Kettle", "Laptop charger", "Extension lead")
• Make and model: Manufacturer and model number where visible
• Serial number: If available
• Location: Where the appliance is normally used (e.g., "Kitchen", "Office 3", "Workshop")
• Class: Class 1 or Class 2
• Date of last test: When it was last PAT tested
• Test result: Pass or fail, with readings
• Next test due: When re-testing is due
• Notes: Any observations — minor damage noted, repair history, etc.

Keeping It Updated

Your register is only useful if it is current. Update it when:

• New equipment is purchased and added
• Equipment is disposed of or removed
• Equipment is moved to a different location
• Testing is carried out
• Repairs are made

Paper vs Digital

A simple spreadsheet works perfectly for most small businesses. For larger organisations with hundreds of appliances across multiple sites, dedicated PAT testing software (such as the systems we use) provides better tracking, reporting, and scheduling.

We Build Your Register

When Green Tag PAT tests your equipment, we create or update your portable appliance register as part of the service. You receive a complete, professional document ready for your compliance files. Contact us for PAT testing across Greater Manchester and Northwest England.