Many people are under the misunderstanding that new equipment does not require testing. This is not strictly true. Whilst it is true that new equipment should be received from the manufacturer or retailer in a safe condition, it is possible that new equipment has, for example, a power supply lead with reversed polarity or has not had the metal case bonded internally to the earth conductor of the power supply lead. This does not mean that every time you buy a new piece of equipment, you must carry out full Appliance Testing on that item. What you must do is ensure that you have a procedure or policy in place whereby you meet your obligations under the law and/or statutory requirements, i.e. new equipment is purchased from reliable sources, new equipment is visually inspected for signs of obvious damage, and you have a regular frequency that testing is carried out. New equipment can, in most environments and situations, be tested during the “schedule” of Testing. This may not be the case, for example, if equipment is brought onto your premises which is not “new” but is old equipment brought in by a member of staff or the public – in some cases, this equipment has often proven to be the most dangerous. For example, during the winter and cold snaps, employees tend to bring in fan heaters from home or use other types of portable heaters but this may be introducing a risk of faulty/dangerous appliances in your business.