Bio Sculpture UV Lamp PAT testing

[AmyLouise]

A heads up to fellow geeks.

I have just tried to get my Bio Sculpture lamp PAT tested and was told it had failed as it was not built in the UK so doesn't have the relevant kite marks. They told me that if something went wrong with it or someone got injured by it my insurance would probably be invalid.

Not sure what to do now...

 

[jes]

Hi,

Without any doubt buy a new lamp ASAP which is made to be used in the UK .

There's a lot of cheapo lamps coming in from the abroad which aren't rated to be used on the UK's 230V and therefore don't meet our safety standards and will void your insurance.

As well as risking your clients health, your lamp could catch fire when your not there

HTH
Jes

 

[Cathie!]

That doesn't make much sense to me, I have various items such as cd players, telephone, answer machine, nail desk etc which haven't been made in the UK and have been PAT tested without being condemned. With a product like Bio Sculpture, I'm sure their lamps must be sound.

Where did you get it PAT tested?

 

[Ruth Mills]

Yeah, that sounds odd to me too. I thought that a PAT test was done using an electronic device that tested for circuit integrity anyway, and would fail if there was a problem with the wiring in the appliance being tested. I'd find it odd if a reputable company like BioSculpture was selling a lamp in the UK that was unsuitable for the UK mains supply and voltage.

 

[Teebster]

I find that hard to believe you have been given the right advice. I can't believe a company as big as Bio Sculpture would fall foul of the Trading Standards and there are a lot of products out there that would fall in to this catagory if that was the case.

I would ask Bio Sculpture if I were you.

Sorry you have been worried but please let us know what they say. xxx

 

[AmyLouise]

That's what I thought, I'm sure Bio Sculpture wouldn't sell lamps that weren't suitable for the UK market. I asked the guy who tested it and he said something about an earth wire being loose which he could fix but that inside the lamp at the back there is a little metal 'node' and that is where a client could get an electric shock from as this doesn't have the safety features of a UK lamp. The chances of a client touching this and getting one are pretty slim, but there's still a chance. I will ring Bio on Monday and find out. I'm sure the insurance would have great pleasure in voiding the claim on these grounds. I wonder if other lamps from th US etc have similar issues?

 

[Zingara]

Firstly to the poster that commented on there being a lot of cheap lamps around....I do agree, but the Bio Sculpture lamp isn't one of them. Its a very good quality, well manfactured and reasonably expensive lamp.

However, I have just checked my lamp and it does indeed not have a Kite mark or CE mark in site. Now this in theory doesn't automatically fail it for PAT testing (My husband is a qualifed PAT tester and so I have asked him), however in order for it to be legally sold in the UK, it should have at least one of these marks.

Your PAT tester can therefore use his discretion as to whether it 'passes' PAT, so I would definitely bounce it back onto Bio Sculpture, as to what they say on the matter.