On Thursday, 14 March 2019 12:06:57 UTC, Terry Casey wrote:
In article ff9a9243-3888-4584-8c76-a0cf3eea7a95
@googlegroups.com, says...

On Wednesday, 13 March 2019 17:38:11 UTC, John Rumm wrote:

Testing vintage kit is well beyond the scope of PAT testing,

It is PAT testable. A lot of testers don't understand the issues though.


Let's see. Vintage radios and TVs using 'live chassis'
construction techniques, especially if the mains connection
was via a reversible plug/socket arrangement on the back of
the receiver.

Uninsulated control spindles so that, if the felt washer
between the knob and cabinet is missing, a fine probe in the
gap could come into contact with the potentially live spindle,
depending on the design of the knob. If the knob isn't secured
by an inaccessible strong spring clip, the securing grub screw
can also be contacted with a suitable probe.

At the rear, again a sutable probe through the ventilation
slots could contact the chassis or other live parts.

But would any of these result in a PAT fail?

If so, how can a fan heater pass a PAT test as the live
element is accessible through the much larger slots in the
exit grille?

Only things that are going to be used need to be PAT tested.
I have a work bench with a pillar drill that failed it's H&S
inspection about 7 years ago. The failure was not fixed.
About a year later the H&S people returned and asked me if I was worried
that the drill doesn't meat the H&S requirement I said no ,not really, because I won't allow anyone to use it, and they smiled and left.


Folk whose hobby is restoring vintage sets frequently complain
about the loss of rare items because most charity and second
hand shops refuse to accept them because they have no-one able
to PAT test them or simply because the mains lead has
red/black insulation, although it is perfectly legal on any
set built pre-1970, so these sets go to the tip instead.

It is a shame but if such places knew better, they could advise on what should or could be done.
Anyone watch salvage hunters, they buy lots of old lights but have to rewire them to current ;-) safety standards before they can sell them on to be used.

I'm not sure if you could sell something with the idea that it is not meant to be used.

You can buy guns ok providing they can't easily be fired, but the law does get more complicated then.