Test and Tag on the Sunshine Coast

For many workplaces, yes. Queensland’s Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 requires certain electrical equipment to be inspected and tested, including equipment used in construction, manufacturing, amusement, office and service work. Businesses also have a general duty under work health and safety laws to keep electrical equipment safe. Testing to AS/NZS 3760 is the accepted way to meet these duties.

It depends on the environment. Under AS/NZS 3760, intervals range from every three months for equipment on construction and demolition sites to as long as five years for equipment in low-risk settings such as offices, where equipment is not moved around or roughly handled. Factories, workshops and hire equipment fall in between.

Testing must be done by a competent person – someone with the training, test equipment and knowledge to inspect and test to AS/NZS 3760. Licensed electricians meet this requirement and can also repair or replace faulty items. Other testers usually hold a dedicated test-and-tag qualification, but they cannot carry out electrical repairs.

A failed item is removed from use immediately and fitted with an out-of-service or danger tag so nobody uses it by mistake. It is then repaired by a licensed electrician and retested, or disposed of. Common failures are damaged leads, broken plugs, failed insulation and faulty power boards.

AS/NZS 3760 also covers residual current devices – the safety switches on switchboards and portable RCD units. Checks include a push-button test that users can do themselves and an instrument test of how quickly the RCD trips. Testing RCDs and portable equipment in the same visit is usually the most efficient approach.

Each tested item gets a tag showing who tested it, the test date and the retest date. You should also receive a register listing each item, its location, the result and the next due date. Keep these records, because they show compliance to insurers, auditors and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.