The seven equipment categories in PAT testing are portable, hand-held, movable, stationary, fixed, built-in and IT equipment. Each category describes how an item is used and moved, which is a good guide to how much wear it takes.
The categories come from earlier editions of the IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment and remain in wide use in PAT training and practice, while the current 5th Edition puts risk assessment at the centre of testing decisions. Category is one input into test frequency, alongside the environment and the people using the equipment. This guide defines each category with examples, explains how to place a plug-in device, and shows how categories differ from appliance classes.
What Are the 7 Equipment Categories in PAT Testing?
The seven equipment categories in PAT testing are:
- Portable equipment, under 18 kg and moved while in use or easily moved.
- Hand-held equipment, held in the hand during normal use.
- Movable equipment, 18 kg or less and not fixed, or fitted with wheels or castors.
- Stationary equipment, over 18 kg and not easily moved.
- Fixed equipment, fastened in place or permanently connected to the supply.
- Built-in equipment, installed within furniture or cabinetry.
- IT equipment, such as computers, monitors, printers and photocopiers.
The list is older than the current Code of Practice.
Where Do the Equipment Categories Come From?
The equipment categories come from earlier editions of the IET Code of Practice, and the 5th Edition, published in 2020, no longer describes them in detail. The 5th Edition removed the detailed descriptions of equipment types so that all electrical equipment falls within its guidance unless another inspection regime covers it. It also removed the table of suggested initial test frequencies that was organised by equipment type, and it places a greater emphasis on risk assessment instead.
The categories have not disappeared from practice. Training providers and testers still use them, because they are a quick and consistent way to describe how equipment is used. They are a working tool, not a regulatory classification: no law assigns an appliance to a category. Each category answers one question about the equipment.
1. What Is Portable Equipment?
Portable equipment is electrical equipment under 18 kg that is moved while in use or is easily moved from one place to another. The deciding test is movement: a portable item is picked up, carried and plugged in somewhere else as part of normal use. Kettles, toasters, desk fans, vacuum cleaners and food mixers are portable equipment.
Frequent moving strains the plug, cable and cable grip, so portable equipment wears faster than equipment that stays in one place. Portable equipment is inspected and tested through its plug with a PAT tester. It sits towards the more frequent end of test intervals. When a portable item is held during use, it moves into the next category.
2. What Is Hand-Held Equipment?
Hand-held equipment is portable equipment designed to be held in the hand during normal use. The deciding test is handling: the user grips the item while it runs. Hair dryers, irons, hair straighteners, electric drills and angle grinders are hand-held equipment.
Hand-held equipment carries the highest risk of the categories, because it is more likely to be dropped or damaged and because the user is in direct contact with it when a fault occurs. Hand-held equipment is inspected and tested through its plug. It sits at the most frequent end of test intervals, and user checks before each use matter most here. Some equipment moves but is not held.
3. What Is Movable Equipment?
Movable equipment is electrical equipment of 18 kg or less that is not fixed, or equipment fitted with wheels or castors so the user can move it. The deciding test is occasional movement: movable equipment is repositioned from time to time rather than carried around in use. Microwaves, electric fires, mobile air-conditioning units and wheeled floor cleaners are movable equipment.
The line between portable and movable is not always sharp: a toaster is usually portable, while a microwave that rarely leaves its shelf is usually movable. Movable equipment is also called transportable equipment. It is inspected and tested through its plug and sits between portable and stationary equipment on frequency. Above 18 kg, equipment stops being moved.
4. What Is Stationary Equipment?
Stationary equipment is electrical equipment over 18 kg that is not easily moved and has no carrying handle. The deciding test is mass: stationary equipment stays in one place because it is too heavy to move in normal use. Fridges, freezers, washing machines, vending machines and large photocopiers are stationary equipment.
Because stationary equipment rarely moves, its plug and cable take less wear, and it is generally inspected and tested less often than hand-held equipment. Stationary equipment is still plug-connected, so it is tested through its plug even when it has stood in the same corner for years. Stationary equipment still plugs in; fixed equipment does not.
5. What Is Fixed Equipment?
Fixed equipment is electrical equipment fastened to a support or secured in place, or permanently connected to the supply through a fused connection unit. The deciding test is connection: fixed equipment has no plug to pull out. Wall-mounted storage heaters, bathroom heaters, hand dryers and water heaters are fixed equipment, as is a hotel-room kettle wired through a fused spur.
Fixed equipment is tested differently: a competent tester isolates the supply and connects the PAT tester directly to the equipment rather than through a plug. Because fixed equipment does not move, it sits at the least frequent end of test intervals. Fixed appliance testing still applies, because an item being wired in does not make it part of the building wiring. Fixed equipment is installed on a wall or floor; built-in equipment is installed inside furniture.
6. What Is Built-In Equipment?
Built-in equipment is electrical equipment designed to be installed within furniture, cabinetry or a recess, such as a built-in oven. The deciding test is installation: built-in equipment is only complete and safe to use once it sits in its housing, and in general it does not have an enclosure on all sides. Built-in ovens, integrated dishwashers and under-counter fridges are built-in equipment. Its surrounding furniture protects it from knocks, so built-in equipment takes little wear. Built-in equipment is inspected and tested through its plug where it has one, or by direct connection where it is wired in, which usually means removing it from its housing or reaching its connection point. The last category is defined by what the equipment does.
7. What Is IT Equipment?
IT equipment is electrical business equipment that processes, stores, prints or communicates information. The deciding test is use: IT equipment is grouped by function rather than by mass or movement. Desktop computers, monitors, laptop power supplies, printers, photocopiers, telephones and mail-processing machines are IT equipment. Most IT equipment sits on a desk and moves little, so it takes low wear and sits towards the less frequent end of test intervals, although laptops that travel with their users wear faster. IT equipment is inspected and tested through its plug, using a low earth test current on Class I items and a reduced insulation test voltage or a leakage measurement where sensitive electronics make a 500 V test unsuitable. Most of these categories apply to plug-in devices, which raises an obvious question.
What Category Is a Plug-In Device?
A plug-in device is portable, hand-held, movable, stationary or IT equipment, depending on its mass, how it is moved and what it does. Having a plug does not decide the category; it decides how the device is tested, which is through the plug. A plug-in kettle is portable. A plug-in hair dryer is hand-held. A plug-in microwave is movable.
A plug-in vending machine is stationary. A plug-in printer is IT equipment. A device only becomes fixed equipment when it is permanently wired to the supply instead of plugged in. The same device sometimes changes category with its use: a desk fan carried between rooms is portable, while the same fan left in one office is closer to movable. Category matters most when setting test dates.
How Does Equipment Category Shape Test Frequency?
Equipment category shapes test frequency because it describes how much wear the equipment takes, but the interval itself is set by risk assessment. The IET Code of Practice 5th Edition and HSE guidance both treat frequency as a judgement based on risk, not a fixed rule. Category is one of the factors in that judgement:
- The type of equipment, where hand-held equipment needs attention most often and fixed equipment least often.
- The environment, where a construction site or commercial kitchen shortens intervals compared with an office.
- The users, where equipment used by the public or by people unfamiliar with it carries more risk than equipment used by trained staff.
- The test history, where repeated faults shorten intervals and consistent passes support longer ones.
HSE guidance adds a practical rule for grouped testing: where equipment is grouped together and tested at the same time, the group follows the shortest interval in it, not the longest. Category tells a tester where to start; the risk assessment decides where to finish.
How Do the 3 Appliance Classes Differ From Equipment Categories?
The 3 appliance classes describe how equipment protects the user against electric shock, while the 7 equipment categories describe how equipment is used and moved. The two systems answer different questions, and every item has one of each. A metal-bodied kettle is Class I and portable. A double-insulated hair dryer is Class II and hand-held. A desktop computer is usually Class I and IT equipment.
Class decides which electrical tests an appliance gets, such as whether an earth continuity test applies. Category helps decide how often the appliance is inspected and tested, and how the tester connects to it. Mixing the two leads to the wrong tests or the wrong intervals. The appliance classes, their symbols and the tests each one needs are covered in our guide to the types of electrical appliances that need PAT testing. Some equipment falls outside both systems.
Which Equipment Sits Outside the PAT Categories?
Equipment outside the PAT categories includes the fixed electrical installation, battery-only equipment and specialist equipment covered by its own inspection regime. The main examples are:
- The fixed electrical installation, meaning the wiring, sockets and consumer unit, which is checked through an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) rather than PAT testing.
- Battery-powered tools and devices in normal use, although the mains chargers that power them are portable equipment and are tested.
- Specialist equipment with its own test regime, such as medical electrical equipment, which needs specialist competence.
Classifying equipment correctly, including knowing what falls outside PAT, is a skill that training builds.
How Do You Learn to Classify and Test Equipment?
You learn to classify and test equipment on a PAT testing course that follows the IET Code of Practice and ends with an assessment. Classification is the first decision a tester makes: category points to the test route and the interval, and class points to the tests. A competent person learns to make both decisions quickly and correctly, then to inspect, test and record each item.
PAT Training Now runs a live, tutor-led training day on Zoom for learners who want to train without travelling. The online course follows the IET Code of Practice 5th Edition and covers electrical safety, regulations and responsibilities, appliance classes, insulation and earthing, earth leakage and run tests, load tests and recording results. Learners practise on their own PAT tester during the day, the course is built for people with little or no electrical experience, and successful learners receive a UKRS-accredited Certificate of Competence. Dates and booking are on the Online PAT Testing Course page.
Can one item belong to two categories?
An item belongs to the category that matches its normal use, and a tester records the category that reflects how the item is actually used on that site.
Does a heavier appliance need less frequent testing?
A heavier appliance that stays in one place generally takes less wear, but its test interval is still set by risk assessment rather than by mass alone.
Is a hand dryer fixed equipment?
A wall-mounted hand dryer that is permanently wired to the supply is fixed equipment and is tested by direct connection after the supply is isolated.
