What is PAT Testing?

It is a legal requirement that any electrical appliance or equipment that has the potential to cause harm is maintained. Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is a test of all electrical equipment and appliances to ensure that there are no faults or damage to the appliance and that they are safe to use. A PAT Test includes a visual appliance test; most of the damages that could happen to your appliances can be picked up visually. However some of the damages could only be highlighted if you have conducted full testing. 

How frequently do you have to PAT test your appliances?

This can differ depending on the appliance that you are Pat testing. If you are testing a 230V hoist then this will need a formal inspection every week, however a desktop computer in an office may only need testing every 2-4 years.  

Should I label the appliances that have been tested?

PAT Test Labelling is useful as a way to record and monitor the lifecycle and depreciation of your assets and maintenance of your appliances. 

The items that have been tested should be labelled with a PAT test Label, these labels must contain the following information:

• Status: if the appliance passed or failed the testing
• Test Date: the date when the appliance was tested
• Inspection due date: The nest time this appliance needs to be tested

Appliances that have failed the PAT Test must be labelled “failed” and taken out of use immediately, wither to be fixed or to be replaced. You must never use faulty electrics. 

There are many variations on the PAT Test Label and Label Sources large range of PAT Test Labels are extremely durable, can last through long periods between testing without deteriorating and will stick to any surface.  

Click to view our full range of PAT Test labels, If you cant fined the specific label that you are looking for please contact us via email at info@labelsource.co.uk or call us on 0800 3761 693 and a member of our specialist team will get back to you as soon as possible,

Almost every business has a portable appliance which is required by health and safety legislation to be regularly tested to ensure it meets health and safety standards. The correct terminology for this procedure is Portable Appliance Testing or PAT. Once tested, each appliance must be identified and labelled with a Portable Appliance Test Label or Sticker or PAT labels/stickers. PAT test labels are applied to identify whether or not an appliance has passed a standard portable appliance test as required by health and safety legislation, andsome of these PAT test stickers can even state when the appliance's next test is due. 

Label Source's extensive range of PAT test labels and stickers are extremely durable and though we believe you simply can't put a price on health and safety measures, they are very reasonably-priced indeed! Our range of PAT test labels can be divided into the four following categories:

Electrical Plug Labels 

 
Electrical Cable Wrap Labels Electrical safety tested, failed cable wrap label

 
Portable Appliance Test Record Card Portable appliance test card

 
Electrical Test Equipment Labels Out of compliance, do not use test required label equipment label 

If you're not sure about which of your appliances are required to undergo a PAT test, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 have detailed portable appliance regulations. 

Some of the appliances which need to be tested and will require PAT test labels (if used on industrial, commercial, distribution or retail premises) are the following:

• Computers, printers and other IT equipment 
• Fridges/Freezers 
• Kettles
• Microwaves/Cookers
• Irons
• Vending Machines
• Table Lamps
• Telephones 
• Cables associated with any of these electrical items 

If you have an appliance which falls under any of these categories, then make sure you get your PAT test labels or stickers from Label Source today. 

If you can't find the PAT testing stickers that you need, simply call one of the Label Source team now on 0800 3761 693.

Deciding on which products will need PAT test labels needn't be as daunting as you imagine. The legislation states that any portable appliance needs testing: all equipment not part of a fixed installation but that's intended to be connected to one counts as a portable appliance. If your appliance requires a plug, uses a flexible cable, and is intended for use at a generator or plug socket it counts as a portable appliance.

Such items that could require PAT test labels include: kettles, toasters, monitors, printers, vending machines, photocopiers etc. Take a slightly miscellaneous item like a power drill, the drill itself would not need testing but the charging dock would. IT equipment should be thoroughly tested, and this includes the power cords for all equipment too which should be tested separately as they are held to different standards. Extensions cables are also notoriously hazardous so are some of the most frequently tested of equipment.

When you do find yourself in a position where you need to purchase PAT test labels you can guess where sells them, can't you? Here at Label Source we offer a wide range of PAT test labels and stickers that ensure all of your tested equipment is adequately labelled!

We understand that for most of you the where’s, why’s and when’s of PAT testing can leave you feeling a little perplexed. Because of this, we have compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions and then answered them – because we can do a lot more than just offer you a selection of PAT testing labels, oh yes.

Should I Test My Portable Electrical Appliances Every Year?

The Electricity at Work Regulations act from 1989 states that any equipment with potential to inflict harm needs to be kept in a safe condition. It does not however specify what needs to be done, by whom, or indeed how frequently - so there is no legal obligation for annual inspection.

Should I test Any New Appliances?

As all new equipment should come fully tested and in a safe condition it should not require more than a visual examination. This means you should have no compulsion to purchase PAT testing labels from the go.

Should I Get a Qualified Electrician to Perform Any PAT Work I Need Done?

For basic PAT testing in low-risk environments, a sensible and competent member of staff can carry out inspections with the right training. When carrying out testing and inspection the member of staff will require the correct equipment and PAT testing labels, the ability to use such equipment, and the ability to correctly analyse the results.

Is it Compulsory to Conduct PAT Testing?

Simply put, no. What the law does state is that the employer knows electrical equipment is maintained in a safe order. The law also recommends taking a risk-based approach – think about the type of equipment, what it is being used for, and how often it is being used e.g. something in frequent use like a kettle may be a suitable candidate for PAT testing labels.