Services - Electrical Appliance Test & Tag
Why Test & Tag Your Workplace's Electrical Appliances? In South Australia specifically we have an OHSW Act regulating employer duty of care within the work place. The Regulation uses the principle of hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control to minimise the risk of injury in the workplace. The focus of this legislation is on the equipment that is plugged into power points. There are also specific requirements in the Regulations for the use and testing of RCDs in the workplace. |
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Download Electrical Safety Brochure
Regulation 2.5.7
(1) Regular inspection and testing must be performed on electrical plant in the workplace if the supply of electricity is through a socket outlet to -
(a) hand held electrical plant; or
(b) electrical plant that is moved while in operation; or
(c) electrical plant that is moved between operations in circumstances where damage to the electrical plant or to a flexible supply cord could reasonably occur; or
(d) electrical plant where electrical safety could be affected by the operating environment.
(2) If electrical plant is fixed, it must be inspected and tested after taking into account -
(a) information provided by the designer or manufacturer of the electrical plant; and
(b) any hazard identification and risk assessment process that is relevant to the use of the electrical plant in its intended work environment.Inspection and testing of electrical plant.
What are the Risks?
Failure to protect employees and the general public from electrical hazards will cause harm to them physically and will leave your organisation open to legal action. On top of this your public indemnity insurance may become invalid or at least it could have a material effect on your claim. Non-compliance may also affect your Work-Safe SA obligations, fire and other insurance claims.
What do I need to do to Comply?
By law all businesses must comply with current safety standards, and the simplest way is to have your electrical appliances professionally tested & tagged. The standard AS/NZ 3760:2003, forms the basis of testing, identifying & removing of electrical hazards as required by Work Safe SA.
What do I need to test & tag?
An electrical equipment or appliance is an electricity consuming device or apparatus (including the cable) that is connected to or capable of being connected to the electrical installation.
By Definition Electrical Appliances are identified from the Standards AS/NZ 3760:2003 as follows:
Electrical appliances can be classified into one of the following categories, residual current device, RCD: a switching device intended to isolate the circuit when the current imbalance attains the rated operating leakage current value of the device;
- hand-held / portable: an appliance which is hand-held while in operation or can be moved easily while connected to the supply. Examples: floor polisher, vacuum cleaner, power tools (portable drill, grinder, soldering iron), extension lead, non-fixed electric portable outlet device (EPOD) or power board, jug, toaster, desk lamp, laboratory stirrer/heater, heat gun, heating mantle, etc;
- movable: an appliance that can be moved readily from one place to another by unplugging from a general purpose outlet, but that is not moved during operation. Examples: cathode ray oscilloscope, electronic balance, personal computer, printer, etc;
- fixed / stationary: an appliance which in normal use is fastened to a support of otherwise secured in a specific position or is of such size or function as to be difficult or unlikely to be moved from one place to another. Examples: large workshop machinery (lathe, band saw, etc.), oven, refrigerator, etc;
- experimental unique: an appliance constructed by the work area that does not fit into any of the other categories. Examples: immersion heater elements, furnaces, zone refiners, distillation control systems, UV light sources, heater controllers, etc.
That depends on the type of appliance its location & how it is used. The frequency of testing ranges from 3 months to 5 years. Our skilled consultants will explain how this works.
to give you an idea how this works most Portable appliances fall roughly under these guidelines see table below:
Environment |
Class I |
Class II |
Powerboards/Cords |
| Workshops | 6 mths |
12 mths |
6 mths |
| Where flexible cord subject to flexing under normal use | 12 mths |
12 mths |
12 mths |
| Where flexible cord is NOT subject to flexing use | 5 years |
5 years |
5 years |
| Residential Areas | 2 years |
2 years |
2 years |
| Hire Equipment | Prior to Hire |
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| Repaired, Serviced and Secondhand | After repair or on re-introduction to area |
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How much does it cost?
$3.50 per tested appliance - other companies are charging $5.00 or more for each appliance. Other costs may include ... OH&S Electrical Compliance Report, Electrical Asset Register and Fault Report as required. A Fee maybe applicable for Risk Assessment and Reporting Documentation
Why use our services?
Our Trained and competent technicians are ready to test and tag your workplace and will help you reduce electrical hazards and make recommendations to minimize future risk. We are all Licenced and Nationally qualified Testers in accordance with the AQTF national unit of competency UEENEEP008: 'Conduct in-service safety testing of electrical cord assemblies and cord-connected equipment', ensuring that the highest possible current national standard of training is available to you.
