What WorkSafe Victoria asks of a Geelong business
WorkSafe Victoria says regular testing and tagging is how electrical faults get found, and that the right frequency depends on the type of equipment, its environment and its use. Its guidance points to AS/NZS 3760:2022, the standard for in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment and RCDs (safety switches that cut the power if current leaks).
It also expects paperwork. Employers need records of their electrical safety maintenance, testing and tagging included, ready for review and inspection. Keep the tester's report somewhere you could find it on a busy Monday.
How WorkSafe Victoria sorts workplaces by risk
| Risk area | WorkSafe's description | |
|---|---|---|
| High | Both the environment and the way gear is used raise the risk of cable damage or a shorter life | |
| Medium | Either the environment or the use raises that risk | |
| Low | The environment isn't hazardous and the use poses no extra risk to cables |
Geelong workplaces, and why they differ
Building sites in the growth areas
Armstrong Creek is a growth area of about 2,500 hectares planned for 55,000 to 65,000 people, so there's a lot of building going on south of the city. WorkSafe Victoria's general electrical guidance doesn't cover construction workplaces, which have their own industry standard. If you're on a site, ask the tester to work to that one.
Sheds, workshops and utes
If your gear lives somewhere cables get dragged, crushed or wet, WorkSafe's high risk description probably fits, and that usually means checking more often than an office would.
After a storm
The February 2025 lightning storms left 2,411 Geelong customers off supply the next morning. If wind or rain has got into your premises, pull wet leads and tools out of use until they've been looked at.
A tag isn't a promise
WorkSafe Victoria warns that a tagged item isn't necessarily in good condition, because it can be damaged the day after the test. Anything damaged mustn't be used. It should be thrown out, or tagged out and repaired by a competent person.
So treat the tag as a record of one day. Ask staff to look over a lead before they plug it in, and to set aside anything cut, crushed or scorched.
What to ask a Geelong tester
- Will you test to AS/NZS 3760:2022, or to the construction standard if we're on a building site?
- Which interval would you suggest for each part of our workplace, and why?
- What goes in the written record you leave us?
- If something fails, can you repair it, or only tag it out?
- Are you a Registered Electrical Contractor, and what's the number?
Why we match test and tag to an electrician
WorkSafe Victoria says some people are only competent to do a pass/fail test, while a licensed electrician can also repair the defects testing finds. That matters when the fault is a cracked power point or a tired circuit rather than a kettle lead.
Tell us roughly how much gear you have and where it lives. We'll match you with one licence-checked local electrician who does test and tag regularly, if we have one near you.
What we'd do with a Geelong workplace
Walk the site with the tester and agree which areas are rough on gear and which aren't, so the schedule fits how you really work. On a building site, check they're testing to the construction standard, not the office one. Then keep every report in one folder, because WorkSafe expects you to be able to produce them.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.