There are specific tests required by health and safety regulators in the United Kingdom that have been established to ensure that electrical appliances in a variety of different environments are kept safe and operating at a standard designed for optimal safety for both an appliances user’s and testers. These tests, collectively called PAT testing, is a test designed to be conducted in a number of residential, commercial, and industrial settings. Depending on the level of potential risk involved, Portable Appliance Testing will be conducted at three month intervals, six month intervals, and sometimes at yearly intervals. Its important for anyone using or working in an environment where an electrical appliance is used to be able to tell how safe an appliance is, and whether it should even be used or not, and so PAT testing labels are attached.
Some Portable Appliance Testing labels are color coded, with green typically indicating that the appliance is safe to use, and red usually designated for a failed PAT testing label. It’s important to know the results of the test and to know how safe one is in an environment with electrical appliances, and color coding offers a quick and easy way for the distinction between hazardous and safe appliances to be made.
PAT testing labels are meant to be comprehensive in the sorts of information that they offer, and the most important information is whether or not the appliance should be used. A failed PAT testing label, as most commonly indicated with the color red, is probably the most important label to be able to recognize easily, because any electrical appliance that receives this failed designation is certainly not fit for use by the general public, and perhaps has to be discarded or repaired by designated individuals. Besides the several safety labels an appliance can receive, there is information about the tester, the date that the test was performed, and when the next test should be completed. There is also a place for the appliance I.D. number.
Whether an electrical appliance must receive a pass or fail PAT testing label is all dependent on the Portable Appliance Test itself. By observing the internal electrical components of a machine, a technician can decide if it’s safe to use. A performer of the PAT test will also be required to observe the power cord of the electrical appliance for any signs of potential bodily risk, and the environment that the appliance is located in will play a key role on the result of the test.
Without indicating, usually with color, whether an electrical appliance has received a fail PAT testing label, uses and PAT testers could be subject to possible bodily harm from the use of these electrical appliances. Electrical appliances are extremely commonplace, and their testing ensures that the thousands of people that are exposed or use these appliances are safe. The red
coloring of these testing labels is very affective in warding off potential users, as this color is very often associated with “stop”, or “danger”.