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Types of Portable Appliance

What is Portable Appliance Equipment?

There is no fixed definition, however portable appliances tend to be equipment designed to be hand, is intended to be moved whilst connected, or is capable of being moved without undue difficulty whilst connected to the supply.

Portable appliances tend to be connected to the supply via a plug and socket

Effectively it is ‘anything with a plug top on the end of it’.

Definitions of Portable Appliance

NAPIT – The National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers defines a portable appliance as an ‘electrical item which can or is intended, to be moved whilst connected to an electrical supply.’

The IEE Code of Practice defines the various types of electrical equipment:

Portable appliance


Movable equipment (transportable)

‘An appliance that is either 18 kg or less in mass and not fixed, e.g. electric fire or Equipment with wheels, castors or other means to facilitate movement by the operator as required to perform its intended use, e.g. air conditioning unit.’

Hand Held equipment or appliances

‘Portable equipment intended to be held in the hand during normal use, e.g. hair dryer, tongs.’

Stationary equipment or appliances

‘Equipment that exceeds 18kg and is not provided with a carry handle, e.g. a fridge.’

Fixed Equipment/appliances


Appliances/equipment for “building in”

‘Equipment intended to be installed in a prepared recess such as a cupboards etc. In general, equipment for “building in” do not have exposure on all sides because one or more of the sides. Protection against electrical shock is provided by the surroundings, e.g. built in electric cooker.’

Information Technology equipment

‘Information technology equipment includes computers, PC’s, monitors, laptops,server units and mains powered telecommunications equipment, and other equipment for general business use, such as laminators, guillotines and photocopiers.’