Posts Tagged ‘PAT Testing Stickers’

PAT Testing Stickers

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Since the recognized need began for electrical safety as it pertains to the prevention of fires and hazards associated with faulty wiring and circuit breakdowns, a system of inspection and labeling has been adopted that addresses this need.

Before the advent of a proper system of inspection and reporting in the 1960’s, the practice of safety inspecting was often nothing more than a visual look at wiring involved with electric motors and other devices, sometimes on a regular schedule and sometimes on a random basis.

The increase in widespread usage of electric devices in daily human activity as well as in industrial applications has made it more important than ever to be able to regularly inspect and report on the safety status of electrical systems. The prevention of fires and electrical hazards increases proportionately with this increased use of portable devices.

The current system of electrical safety inspection began in the 60’s and was further expanded with the passage of the Health and Safety at Work Act in 1974, and then again when the Electricity at Work Act was passed in 1990. This system, known as portable appliance testing or PAT, includes a regular routine of inspection and assessment as to the integrity of wiring and circuitry within plug-in and hand-held portable devices.

PAT testing stickers are the vanguard of electrical safety protection in the workplace. Although devices in the home are safety-tested before being introduced to the marketplace for sale, the risk of fires and other related hazards from electric device failures is much greater in manufacturing and industrial environments.
The use of PAT testing stickers provides an immediate visual status report on the viability of portable devices and their internal and external wiring circuits and operation. One can instantly assess whether a device is safe to use or if it has been found to be questionable or even non-usable.

The information that PAT testing stickers provides includes not only the current status of the device vis-à-vis its safe operation, but the history of inspection of the particular electric appliance and which agency or department conducted the inspection as well.

Three categories of safety levels are disclosed by PAT testing stickers: “Tested for Safety”, “Passed”, or “Do Not Use After”. These stickers are attached to the various accessible parts of an electric appliance that require routine inspection, such as wire bundles and power supplies. In this way, a careful and ever-vigilant eye can be kept on those devices which would cause a hazard to the workplace
environment if they develop an electrical problem.

A regular and rigorous system of inspection and reporting on portable electric devices is one of the most important safety regimens that responsible companies and industrial entities can adopt to ensure the continued hazard-free operation of their facilities.

This is why PAT testing stickers are so fundamentally vital to not only detect potential safety problems from electrical malfunction, but to provide a history of reporting that can be of such great assistance in the determination of the status of safe operation of electrical devices so abundant in the workplace today.

Putting The Finishing Touches On Safety Tests With PAT Testing Stickers

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

In the course of doing business a company routinely uses a number of different electronic devices and portable appliances. The safety and efficiency of these machines is vital to the health of the employees and the company alike. UK law mandates that specific and regular testing be done to show that machines are working within normal limits to reduce the risk of liability and injury. There are a number of testing devices that are using during the testing process. At the end of each test, labels known as PAT testing stickers are placed on the machine that was tested. The point of the PAT testing labels is to let people know the particular safety rating of the appliances within a workplace environment and to ensure that they are safe enough to use.

There are a number of different types of information on PAT testing labels. All of that information is presented to give an accurate description of the safety of that equipment. The labels will hold specific information such as the name of the company where the piece of equipment is located along with the name of the inspector that is applying the test. The machine’s serial number along with the current test date will also be clearly labeled on the PAT testing stickers. The date of the next scheduled test will also be prominently marked.

PAT tests are not overwhelmingly complicated but they do require certain tools that can read the safety levels of the portable appliances and machines that are being tested. After hooking the appliance to the testing device the test will record certain types of information in regards to the performance of the machine. The machine will then get a grade of pass or fail. Passing results indicate green PAT testing stickers and failing results indicate the machine will be affixed with red PAT testing labels. However, there are times that further testing may be required so that additional questions can be answered. In those circumstances the use of blue PAT testing stickers will be used. Blue stickers indicate that while the machine is currently operating within normal parameters it should be closely monitored to help prevent any future mishaps. Although the testing process is a bit more involved than just a simple pass or fail, it can be well worth it to offset any liability that may occur due to machine malfunction.

It is very important to conduct PAT testing at regularly scheduled intervals as set forth by government regulations. Quite simply, it helps to ensure the reliability and safety of the machines so that workers are not injured by malfunctions or other types of errors that can occur in electronic appliances. Using PAT testing stickers will help to reassure your employees and the government that safety is an important aspect of how you run your business. The ease and reliability of PAT testing labels can help you in the long run, as it assures everyone involved in the business that you are concerned about safety. It can also prevent you from using machines that are a liability to your business.

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PAT Testing Labels ensure that a machine has been tested and the results can be clearly seen by all that use it. PAT Label can assist your company with all its PAT Testing Stickers needs.