
The Workplace Safety Legislation Amendment (Workplace Manslaughter and Other Matters) Act 2019 (the WSLA Act) received Royal Assent in November 2019 and is expected to come into effect by 1 July this year.
The new law is designed to strengthen workplace safety in Victoria. It will see tougher penalties for negligently causing a workplace death, including fines of up to $16.5 million for duty holders and up to 20 years in jail for individuals.
Testing and Tagging and safety services by Stay Safe Test and Tag is based in
Melbourne with over 40 years experience in providing quality customer service
all over the Melbourne Metropolitan and Mornington Peninsula areas.
Our technicians are fully qualified and deemed to be competent to carry out
ON SITE SERVICE and to fulfill all the relevant Australian Standards on the
following services that we provide:
And we are fully insured for your confidence. As well as a Test and Tag technician, Chris, the owner of Stay Safe Test and Tag is a fully qualified Electronics Technician with over 40 years of invaluable experience in dealing with all types of customer service situations, so you are assured of professional, reliable and quality service no matter what the situation is. All too often we have seen potentially disastrous situations and have been amazed how employees and visitors at these workplaces haven't been injured or killed due to the unsafe equipment they have used.
COMPANY POSITIONS CHRIS HAS HELD INCLUDE:
- Service Network Manager at Hisense Australia
- National Service, Technical and Spare Parts Manager at Hitachi Australia
- National Akai & Telefunken Service & Product Manager at Prima Australasia
TO ENSURE YOU HAVE A SAFE WORKPLACE, Stay Safe Test and Tag Services, can offer and arrange:
- Free no obligation inspection and quote of your workplace or site
- Competitive pricing
- On site service to all of Melbourne metropolitan and Peninsula areas
CONTACT US NOW for the right advice on any issue you may have with any of your work or home applications and appliances that need our professional and prompt Test and Tag Service.
Test and tag is the name given to the process of visually
inspecting and electrically testing electrical equipment for
personal use and/or business use and safety.
It is also known as:
* Electrical Testing
* Testing and Tagging
* Electrical Tagging,
* Appliance Testing & Tagging
* Portable Appliance Testing
* PAT Testing
The appliance undergoes a visual inspection for defects such as damage or missing
components and a process of electrical testing to measure earth continuity, insulation resistance and polarity. After testing has determined a pass, a test tag is attached to the appliance lead indicating when it was tested, when the next test is due, and a tracking code. Each product is put through a thorough test and tag procedure, depending on the product, the tests performed will comprise of:
1. Visual Test
2. Earth Continuity Test
3. Insulation Resistance Test
4. Leakage Current Test
5. Polarity Test
Three phase appliances are simply appliances that use
three actives, in order to increase the amount of power available,
without having to increase the cable size, as the current is divided into
three across each phase. The combination of these 3 phases of voltages
outputs approx. 400 volt AC.
For many single earthed appliances, an earth continuity and insulation test
is sufficient to test the electrical integrity of the appliance. However, the Australian
standard specifies that for appliances that must be energised to be in the 'on' position
a current leakage test shall be performed. For that reason, many single and 3-Phase appliances
require a current leakage test.
As per single phase testing, 3-Phase appliances should be tested the same way but with extra considerations.
There are a numerous amperage rated plugs and sockets with either 4 or 5 pin combinations, further complicated
by different shapes, keyways and current ratings and consideration must be taken for machinery with soft starts, variable speed drives and electromechanical devices - all of these which can not solely rely on IR (insulation resistance) testing alone, hence the need to energise the appliance to perform a current leakage test.
An electric switchboard is an assembly of panels where each panel contains switches that allow electricity to be redirected from one source to another.
All users are protected from electrocution by safety switches (RCD's) and Circuit Breakers by automatically shutting off the electricity supply when current is detected leaking from faulty switches, wiring or electrical appliances. This stops the chance of current flowing to earth, through a person and electrocuting them.
A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage as a result of overload or short circuit. Its purpose is to detect a fault condition and to immediately discontinue electrical flow by interrupting continuity.
Circuit breakers also cut the power off when electrical wiring in a building has too much current flowing through it. In these cases, too much current flowing through a circuit heats wiring to unsafe levels, which eventually results in an electrical fire.
Microwave radiation emission or leakage testing is a test most people take for granted or just do not realise the amount of harm the user may be exposed to.
Microwave ovens use high frequency electromagnetic waves to cook the food. In a properly designed and constructed oven, these high-energy waves are contained entirely within the cooking area. However, if these waves were to leak out, they can result in serious burns to the user. Levels of radiation above 5mW/sq.cm are considered harmful to humans.
Excessive radiation leakage mostly occurs from the door seal or hinge areas, this is often the result of the door being closed too hard (slamming) or basically due to normal wear and tear/usage.
The kitchen will usually present a faulty product, whether it be a power board or even a burnt power cord from the sandwich press, toaster or kettle - these faults are usually visual but with radiation leakage you can't smell it or see it.
Plug top or extension socket replacement is required when either are damaged and are replaced with a new compliant plug or socket.
Faulty plug tops or extension sockets are found when a visual inspection is performed prior to any electrical test. If a visual inspection finds a plug or socket has discoloured due to overheating or pins are loose, corroded or burnt due to arcing or if internal leads are exposed, a new transperant plug or socket is fitted.
Examples of plug tops or sockets that need replacing:
* Fully insured
* Carry White/Red card
* Carry Working With Children Card
* Undergone full National Police Check
* FREE no obligation quotation
* After hours and weekend service available
* Covering all Melbourne Metropolitan and Peninsula areas
* Competitive pricing and will price match any genuine quote
* All appliances tested to the latest and current standard - AS/NZ3760:2010
* Fully trained, certified and qualified Test & Tag and Electronics Technician
* We offer advice on the replacement, repair or procurement of any electrical appliance
* Over 40 years experience in Electronics and all sorts of customer service situations
* Supply of and on-site repairs to leads or appliances if required to minimize down time
* Record keeping and detailed documentation of all assets/appliances tested
* Scheduled follow up reminder service to ensure your workplace is always compliant
* Use the latest Portable Appliance Tester & software program for thorough testing & reporting
"WE ENSURE YOU HAVE A SAFE WORKPLACE" - Contact Stay Safe Test and Tag Services NOW!
Chris from Stay Safe Test and Tag Services provides our business with a professional, prompt, reliable and thorough service. Nothing is too much trouble. I would not hesitate in recommending Stay Safe Test and Tag Services.
Sally Robbins, Laser Plumbing - Rowville
Hisense Australia,
I highly recommend Stay Safe Test and Tag. From the first phone discussion, Chris was incredibly helpful and courteous and our job was completed within a week, from quote to invoice. Chris arrived on time, completed his work with a high level of professionalism and with minimal disruption and inconvenience to all our staff members and overall operation of our business. I look forward to having Chris return when our business needs to be retested.
Tracey Day, Hisense Australia
I would like to thank you for your services over the last few years. We could always rely on Stay Safe Test & Tag to have a professional team out onsite or at our office to have all our tools tagged quickly and hassle free. We look forward to continually utilizing your services in the future and would highly recommend Chris and his team.
Richard Fou, Operations Manager,
Wall Tech Panels.
Vesta Group,
Chris from Safe Test and Tag Services
is highly professional, very well presented
and efficient.
We are highly impressed with the level of service provided by Chris.
Keep up the good work.
Banerjee, Antony - Service Manager
The Schaefer Group,
I was very happy with the service provided by Chris at Stay Safe Test & Tag and will be using their services again in a year!
Samantha Schaefer, The Schaefer Group
SUPACAT
Thank you very much for your service, it was a pain-free a process as you could have made it.
Jayne Barrie, Supacat
Showheels P/L,
Thanks for the great service, prompt, efficient & best of all lowest price from 3 quotes. Will definitely be using your service again.
Tony Gurzinski, General Manager, Showwheels PTY LTD
Below are a few questions commonly asked regarding the requirements and procedures of testing and tagging.
Do I have to test and
tag all my equipment
in my worksite?
As an employer, you have a duty of care to ensure that all employees and visitors to your workplace are safe from injury and risks to their health. New laws to the Occupational Health and Workplace Safety Acts were introduced around Australia and New Zealand as of the 1st of January 2012. These laws require “an employer to provide and maintain a safe workplace”, which includes maintaining safety in the use of electrical equipment in an attempt to prevent hazards such as electric shock and damage to property and employees. In Australia and New Zealand, this is done using the Standard; AS/NZS 3760:2010 “In-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment” as the reference document. From July 1 2020, employers that fail to meet health and safety obligations face new penalties should their negligence lead to a work dying on the job. This includes up to 25 years prison for individuals or $16 million in fines for corporations or individuals.
Who can perform the testing and tagging?
Test and Tagging shall be conducted by a “competent person” - “A Competent Person is a person who has the necessary practical and theoretical skills, acquired through training, qualification, experience or a combination of these, to correctly undertake the tasks prescribed by this Standard.” The Standard also notes that a Competent Person is not required to be a registered or licensed electrical practitioner eg. Electrician, therefore you are not paying for Licensed Electrician rates.
What electrical items should be
tested and how often ?
Electrical equipment must be tested if it:
is supplied with electricity through an electrical socket outlet ('plug in' equipment), and
is used in certain higher-risk workplaces where operating conditions are likely to result in damage to the equipment or a reduction in its expected life span.
These higher-risk environments are workplaces with a higher chance of the electrical equipment being exposed to moisture, heat, vibration, corrosive chemicals or dust. They include construction and demolition sites, wet or dusty areas, outdoors, workplaces that use corrosive substances, commercial kitchens and manufacturing environments. Depending on the environment, testing required monthly, every three months, six months, yearly, two or every five years.