Mixed-use sites take more planning than a straightforward office. When a transport technology manufacturer in Tansley brought Peak Edge in to cover their Derbyshire premises, the asset count came in at 149 items spread across several quite different environments: offices, a workshop, research and development space, the building entrance, and a kitchen.
How the day worked
Each zone in a building like this tends to carry a different electrical profile. Office areas typically hold desktop equipment, monitors, chargers, lamps and extension leads. A workshop introduces heavier-duty tools and portable equipment that sees more physical wear. Research and development space often adds a layer of specialist or prototype equipment alongside the usual bench gear. The entrance and kitchen round things out with items that don't always make it onto a client's asset register until a PAT tester walks through the door and asks about them.
Working through all five zones in a single visit meant keeping the job organised by area rather than just working through a list in sequence. That approach matters when a building has distinct spaces with different access requirements or different risk levels. It also makes the resulting records more useful, because the asset data maps back to a physical location rather than sitting in a flat list that's harder to interrogate later.
In total, 149 assets were tested and recorded across the site.
What this kind of site involves
A transport technology manufacturer is likely to have more variety in its portable appliances than a single-trade business. Development work can mean equipment that moves between benches or gets reconfigured regularly, which tends to increase wear on cables and plugs compared with items that sit in one place. Workshop tools are subject to mechanical stress as well as electrical load. For a business in this sector, keeping PAT records current and covering all areas of the building is part of demonstrating due diligence to insurers and, where relevant, to customers who audit their supply chain.
What a similar business can take away
- A site with genuinely mixed environments benefits from a PAT tester who works through each zone separately and records location data against each asset, not just a pass or fail against a serial number.
- Workshop and R&D areas often hold items that have been overlooked in previous rounds of testing, either because access was restricted on the day or because the equipment was assumed to be covered elsewhere. A full walkthrough of every zone reduces that risk.
- Entrance areas and kitchens are worth including explicitly in the scope before the visit, because they are easy to miss when a site manager is thinking primarily about production or office space.
- With 149 assets across five distinct areas, a well-structured job can be completed in a single visit without disrupting normal working patterns, provided access to each zone is arranged in advance.
Peak Edge operates from Chesterfield and covers sites across Derbyshire and the surrounding area. If your premises include a mix of office and production or workshop space, it is worth discussing the full scope before booking so the day is costed and planned to cover everything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do workshop and office areas need to be tested on the same visit?
There is no requirement to test them together, but combining them in a single visit is usually more efficient and ensures that retest dates stay aligned across the whole site. Splitting the work across separate visits can lead to different areas falling due at different times, which adds administrative complexity.
How does PAT testing work for R&D equipment that changes regularly?
Equipment in research and development areas may be reconfigured, moved between benches, or swapped in and out more frequently than standard office kit. It is worth discussing with your PAT tester how to handle items that may not be on a fixed asset list, and whether a shorter retest interval is appropriate for equipment that sees heavier or more varied use.
What records will I receive after a visit covering multiple zones?
You should receive a full asset register showing each item tested, the area it was found in, and the relevant test data. A location reference against each asset makes it easier to act on any recommendations and to demonstrate compliance if you are audited by an insurer or a customer.
How often should a mixed office and workshop site be PAT tested?
There is no single legally mandated interval. The appropriate frequency depends on the type of equipment, how it is used, and the environment it operates in. Workshop and production tools in a demanding environment are often retested more frequently than office equipment. A competent PAT tester can advise on suitable intervals for each category of appliance on your site.