What is Test & Tag?

 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 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.

The AS/NZS 3760 is the Australian 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.

What are the Re test periods & Who needs to have test and tag completed?

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 type of equipment is tested and tagged?

In short, any device that has a flexible cable or cord, a removable plug and is not low voltage (not exceeding 50V). This includes extension leads, cord sets and portable RCD’s.

Generally, electrical appliances can be classed as either:

Class I – this is an earthed appliance i.e. kettles, irons, toasters

Class II – double insulated appliances, which are usually identified with a symbol (a square within a square) or with the words ‘Double Insulated’ i.e. most electric drills and hair dryers.

It's worth mentioning that new equipment doesn't need to be tested - just visually inspected and tagged.