Question 1

Do I have to test and tag all my equipment in my worksite?

Accepted Answer

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. There are laws that 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.

Question 2

Who can perform the testing and tagging?

Accepted Answer

Testing and Tagging can be conducted by a "compotent person". A Competent Person is a person who has attained 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.

Question 3

How often should testing and tagging be done?

Accepted Answer

The environment the electrical equipment is used in will determine how often the testing and tagging will need to be done. There are different periods as set out by the Australian Standard AS/NZS 3760, that states testing must be undertaken at regular intervals, eg.:
3 months: Building, construction and demolition
6 months: Factories, warehouses and production
12 months: Office environments or environments where the equipment/supply cord is prone to flexing or open to abuse
24 months: Accomodation / Domestic environments

Question 4

What is involved in testing and tagging?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 5

What is Testing and Tagging

Accepted Answer

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to test and tag all my equipment in my worksite?

Who can perform the testing and tagging?

How often should testing and tagging be done?

What is involved in testing and tagging?

What is Testing and Tagging