Test And Tagging

Test and Tag is the name given to the process of checking the safety of portable electrical appliances. It involves two parts: first visually inspecting the appliance for any damage, followed by electrically testing it with a Portable Appliance Tester.

Once tested, the item is then placed with a tag to confirm that it has in fact been tested, along with showing who tested it, the test date and when the next test is due.

The primary reason behind doing testing and tagging is to ensure the safety of the people in the workplace coming into contact with the appliance, while also minimising the risk of an electrical hazard. If an accident does occur and no testing and tagging was previously completed on that item, the employer may be considered liable.

The AS/NZS 3760 is the Australian and New Zealand Standard that provides guidelines and regulations for the test and tag industry with regards to electrical safety of appliances. It sets out recommendations to issues such as test and tag intervals, defines who can test and tag and general guidelines. This Standard was recently updated in 2022 with a list of various changes, along with now being called the AS/NZS 3760:2022.

Who needs to test and tag?
Industries such as construction, demolition and mining are required to have their appliances tested and tagged every 3 months. This is because of the harsh nature of the industry which is likely to damage equipment at a faster rate. For each 3 months of testing, the test and tag colours will change for different periods throughout the year, which effectively make certain months coincide with a specific test tag colour.

With the exception of these industries, testing and tagging is not a legislative requirement for other workplaces. However, the employer does have a duty of care to ensure the safety of its employees, meaning that if someone was hurt from an appliance that wasn’t tested and unsafe, they could be found liable. Because of this, it’s the employer’s responsibility to have all portable electrical appliances tested.

For people in the hire industry, there are some minimum requirements. For instance, before equipment is hired out it needs to be visually inspected by the hirer before every lease. The actual appliance needs to be tested also every 3 months, which is the hirer’s responsibility when they have possession of it.

What is a Portable Appliance Tester
A portable appliance tester, also known as a PAT Tester or PAT, is the main piece of equipment used by someone testing and tagging. It allows you to test an electrical appliance to ensure it’s safe, which does so by giving you results on whether it passed or failed your particular tests.

what does it cost?

$5 per tag

For Single phase items that are in a pile or on a table read for testing, for any item that we need to use a ladder or spend more then 1min to find and return the item to its original place, additional charge may apply (i.e power board cable tied into place )

A $150 min charge for set up applies for all jobs, which includes the first 10tags, we offer onsite testing or if its only a few items they can be dropped off to our office.

prices can vary depending on quantity, please enquire so we can give the best price

can anyone tag test my appliances?

No, they need to be trained and experienced, though heads up you dont need to be a electricain, we highly recomend using a electricain, there is a lot of companys that are not who provide cheaper prices but dont have the electrical experience, they can not repair any electrical items vs we can.