Supplying Equipment to Festivals or Hospitality Venues? Get Your PAT Testing Sorted Before You Arrive
Supplying Equipment to Festivals or Hospitality Venues? Get Your PAT Testing Sorted Before You Arrive
Over the last few weeks, I have had a few last-minute PAT testing jobs for companies supplying equipment to hospitality venues, temporary event spaces and festival-style locations.
The pattern is usually the same. The business has equipment ready to go, the event is close, and then the venue asks for confirmation that the electrical equipment has been checked.
That can create a rush, especially if the equipment is needed for a fixed setup time, a festival pitch, a bar, a food area, a pop-up, a performance space or a hospitality venue with strict access arrangements.
PAT testing is much easier to deal with before you arrive than it is to sort out at the last minute.
If you are unsure what might need checked, you can ask Wendy, Thorn PAT Testing’s online assistant, for a guide before requesting a confirmed quote.
Relevant for: event suppliers, festival traders, hospitality suppliers, food stalls, pop-up businesses, production companies, market traders, mobile services, caterers, bar operators and businesses taking electrical equipment into third-party venues.
Venues may ask for evidence
If you are taking electrical equipment into someone else’s venue, it is increasingly common to be asked for evidence that the items have been checked.
That might be a hospitality venue, theatre, event space, festival site, market, exhibition, bar, hotel, function room or temporary trading area.
The venue may want to see that the equipment has been PAT tested, labelled where suitable, and recorded on a report before it is used on site.
Last-minute testing can be stressful
The difficult part is timing.
If a venue asks for electrical safety records just before an event, there may not be much time to get the equipment checked, update the paperwork and still meet your setup deadline.
I have seen this with recent festival and hospitality work, where the testing became urgent because the venue or organiser needed confirmation before the equipment could be used.
What type of equipment might need checked?
The equipment will depend on the type of business and event, but it can include everyday items as well as specialist kit.
Examples include extension leads, IEC leads, chargers, small appliances, payment equipment, display lighting, catering equipment, coffee machines, fridges, freezers, heaters, speakers, control equipment and other plug-in items used as part of the setup.
If it plugs in and is being taken into a venue for business use, it is worth asking whether it should be included. Our guide What Counts as an Appliance for PAT Testing? explains this in more detail.
Temporary setups can be harder to manage
Festival and hospitality setups are often busy, practical and time-sensitive.
Equipment may be packed in boxes, moved between locations, stored in vehicles, used outdoors under cover, shared between staff, or connected quickly during setup.
That makes it even more important to keep the basic records clear. A simple PAT testing report gives you something to provide if a venue, organiser or site manager asks for confirmation.
Check cables and accessories before packing
Before equipment goes to a venue, it is worth checking more than just the main appliance.
Power leads, IEC leads, chargers and other detachable cables can easily get damaged, mixed up or forgotten. These are often the items that cause problems when everything is being prepared in a hurry.
If something looks damaged, has a cracked plug, loose cable, scorch mark or unusual smell, it should not be put into normal use. I have covered this wider point in Damaged Electrical Appliances at Work: When Should You Stop Using Them?.
A simple appliance list helps
For event suppliers and hospitality businesses, a simple appliance list can save a lot of stress.
It helps you know what is going to the venue, what has already been checked, and what still needs attention before the event.
This does not need to be complicated. Even a basic list of the equipment you regularly take to venues can make PAT testing easier to arrange and help avoid missed items. I have written more about this in Why Small Businesses Should Keep an Appliance List.
Do not leave it until setup day
The best time to arrange PAT testing is before the equipment is packed, loaded or taken to the venue.
That gives time to check the items properly, deal with any failures, replace damaged leads if needed, and provide a clear report before the event.
For businesses working around festivals, pop-ups, hospitality venues or temporary sites, this can make the whole process much smoother.
Thorn PAT Testing’s approach
Thorn PAT Testing provides business PAT testing for small businesses, event suppliers, hospitality suppliers, local traders, landlords, letting agents and workplaces.
The service includes visual inspection, testing where required, pass/fail labelling where suitable and a digital report for your records.
Thorn PAT Testing covers Glasgow, Bearsden, Milngavie and East Dunbartonshire.
Taking equipment to a venue or event?
If a venue, organiser or hospitality site has asked for PAT testing records, Wendy can help you think through your equipment, likely appliance count and guide price before you request a confirmed quote.
You can view the main PAT testing service information, check current pricing, or ask Wendy online.
Ask Wendy for a Guide Price