EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Technical Assistance Tested Labels

When a piece of equipment has been commissioned/repaired/serviced/PPM etc, what indication do you put on the item to show that its been tested for electrical safety and/or functional tested? How many labels/what is the standard/who supplies these labels?

All comments welcome.

Paul

Hello Mate. All that's needed is something to reassure the user that the kit gets looked at regularly. The sticker should say something suitably soothing but succinct, like TESTED. Way back in the army, we found that SERVICEABLE really conveyed all that needed to be said. That plus the tech's initials, of course.

But whichever sticker you apply, always simply put the "tested on" date on there. That is, don't add the "next date due". Unless, of course, you want it to come back and bite you in the butt later on (ie, when the date has come and gone)!

"Tested" labels partially laminated with date & initials. Stick to anything but peel off without residue when PPM comes round again.
Available from RS, Farnell and CPC.
We sometimes use a wraparound flex label on the mains cable stating amongst other things INV no. which as you can imagine usually ends up on another device, therefore i agree with Geoff, keep it simple and use the test date not date due.
Topper

I expect Paul was hoping for RS (etc.) stock numbers, Topper (am I right there, Mate?).

Don't forget the issue of "which pen", too! No, I'm being serious, it does matter. And I seem to recall another thread on that very topic. In fact, yer 'tis!

Lastly, on the issue of "keeping it simple", at one place I worked we just used "green dots" (of the type cheaply available from any corner-shop stationers). Then, as time rolled on, it became the "brown dot" (etc.) to indicate another year.

As usual, the feline can have its integument removed by various methods!

Excuse me for being so sad....

Hah, your edit just beat me to it Geoff

Sorry, Mate, but you're going to have to be a bit quicker than that! I had enjoyed a cup of tea, as well as reading about Brown versus Cameron, in the interim!

Cup of tea in 3m 23s ?

Couldn't have been that hot

Here, much to my concern when I joined the department, we use labels that contain a 'next due' date. The previous department head however advised that equipment ID labels should be placed on the front wherever possible, as this allows the users to give clear details when reporting faults, and tested labels should be placed of the rear as they are 'for EBME use only'.

Thankfully in the 5 years I've been there it's not bitten us on the butt yet and on a couple of occasions actually been quite useful where an observant member of staff have noticed overdue equipment that wasn't found due to it being in the totally wrong location.

Your previous manager was a wise fellow, Scottish!

It will bite, eventually (remember Leonard's maxim ... it's just a question of when?).

I heard of a case where a snotty (but, to be fair, probably "upset") bloke caused a bit of a stir at a certain well-known hospital, when, unhappy with the service his wife was getting in the A&E, started going around with his notebook jotting down the "next service due" dates on all the kit he could find. Needless to say, it was all "out of date", and it caused a great deal of embarrassment to all concerned when he threatened to sue the Trust. Don't say you haven't been warned, guys!