Microwave Oven Day

The 6th December marks Microwave Oven day, honouring the appliance that changed the way we use the kitchen and uncovering the possibility of making quick additions to meals, and even whole meals designed to be cooked in no time. Whether you’re heating up tortilla wraps for a Mexican-inspired meal, or you’re too busy to cook from scratch, the microwave oven has innovated the way we make our meals. Today we are going to focus on how microwave ovens were first intentioned, how they are used now and how you can use emission tests to keep the safe and fully functioning.

The Invention of the Microwave Oven

Microwave ovens were invented in America in 1945 by a self-taught engineer called Percy Spencer. As with many inventions, he discovered this method of cooking by accident, when working with an active radar. On this particular day, he realised a chocolate bar was melting in his pocket, and that the high-powered microwave beams created an ideal heat for cooking. He used the microwaves to cook popcorn and continued to experiment by cooking an egg. The company Raytheon, which Spencer worked for, encouraged his experimentation of heating food safely with microwaves and filed the patent for it on 8^th October of that year, building the first microwave oven as we know it in 1947.

Microwave Ovens in the Workplace

One of the main areas that the microwave oven has been invaluable to is the workplace. This allows workers to easily have access to hot food that they can cook quickly themselves. Whilst it is not a legal requirement for the workplace to have a kitchen, it is a legal requirement for workers to be able to access hot food whilst at work. Therefore, if there is no place to obtain hot food nearby, then a microwave should be provided.

Microwave Emission Test Labels

It is therefore paramount that employers carry out microwave emission tests to ensure the safe use of the appliance at work. We can use microwave emission test labels to keep microwave usage safe. Here at PAT Labels Online, we provide both plain and personalised emission test labels to help you to communicate important safety information easily. Our labels are available in a range of colours, including orange, green, purple, blue and black. Information can include checks for the interlock, door seal, emission level and power. More detailed versions include an option to fill in a test date, who completed it, and when a retest is due. This also offers space for the appliance I.D. It states not to remove the label and confirms that the oven has passed a radiation leakage test and is safe to use.

Contact Us

For more information about our range of microwave emission test labels, stickers and tags, or any other products, please complete our contact form, or email us at Sales@PATLabelsOnline.co.uk. You can also call us on 01325 525 675, and a member of our team will be happy to help with any questions you may have for us about microwave emission test labels or any other products.