Group assets by exposure and use. A mobile cleaning machine faces different handling from a fixed desktop device with protected cabling. Existing damage and fault history help identify where the programme needs particular attention.
Determine suitable user checks, formal visual inspection and electrical tests. HSE emphasises visual examination because electrical testing alone cannot detect every safety defect; treat the activities as distinct parts of the assessment.
Make responsibilities clear
Allocate register maintenance and programme delivery. Give users a reporting route and arrangements for equipment withdrawn from use. Name the authority for repair, replacement and return-to-service decisions.
Resolve boundaries between landlord, employer, tenant and contractor assets in shared premises. Equipment introduced by another organisation must not fall outside both programmes. Establish how items returning from external repair re-enter the register.
These controls support management between appointments. They also prevent an appliance with an unresolved failure being used again simply to meet an immediate operational need.
Keep records that support decisions
Link inspection or test results to individually traceable equipment. Record faults, repair decisions, replacements and unavailable items. A total tested count or unexplained sticker does not allow a manager to follow a particular asset's condition.
Review what findings say about use. Repeated cable damage may call for improved storage, handling or more suitable equipment alongside revised checking arrangements. Account for missing assets through location or disposal records rather than recording them as checked.
For comparable proposals, define inventory size, access, working windows, report format and treatment of failures. State whether repair and repeat testing are included or require additional approval.
Frequently asked questions
Does every appliance need an annual electrical test?
No. HSE rejects a blanket annual test for all portable equipment. Determine arrangements from item type, use and environment, retain the rationale and review changes in condition or operation.
Does an EICR cover portable appliances?
An EICR assesses the fixed installation within its commissioned scope. Maintain an appliance programme separately, connecting records where a fault concerns both equipment and the supplying installation.
What should happen when equipment fails a check?
Withdraw the item and make its status unmistakable. Arrange assessment, repair or renewal through the accountable person. Record the resolution so a failed result does not remain indefinitely unexplained on the register.
Related guidance and services
Read the fixed-wiring guide. Review appliance testing provision, asset maintenance, minor project work and commercial workplace support.
Explore services, maintenance programmes, project delivery, sectors and coverage, or submit an equipment programme brief.
