PAT Testing Labels & Stickers
Pieces of equipment that are subject to be inspected or tested should be easy to identify. Therefore, equipment should be clearly labeled. Since there may be many items which are similar at the same location, an identification code should be included to allow the item to be identified. An indication of the current safety status of the equipment should be added (for example whether the item has PASSED or FAILED the appropriate safety inspection). The time when re-testing is needed and/or the last test date and re-test period should also be clearly indicated.
The provision of the above data will not only make it much easier to find the equipment at re-test time, but will also enable non-technical people to be aware of any equipment that is needed for re-test, or which shouldn't be used because testing is past due.
The labels can include other information like a logo or brand name and could be machine-readable, perhaps with bar code, or pre printed and hand written. The machine-readable bar codes are particularly suitable for the identification code. A lot of test operatives have testing machinery that will read bar coded labels in order to set the instrument to perform only the tests needed for that specific piece of equipment.
The pass/fail information must be laid out and in a legible form so that others can read it.
Labels can come in a number of different types, but they must be able to adhere to a wide variety of surfaces. In addition to having good stability (they must degrade slowly enough to withstand the interval between re-tests), they must also be quite durable. Industrial environments put great demands on these labels, subjecting them to abrasive and chemical exposure. The label should also be placed in a highly visible location.
For keeping the proper records, items like extension leads, which might not have serial numbers, will have to be located with a unique reference number or code fixed to, or marked on, the specific equipment.