Found a damaged lead or a tool that bit someone?
Pull it out of service now and label it so nobody plugs it back in. If someone was shocked and is hurt, call 000, and don't touch them until the power is off at the wall or the main switch. Don't tape a cut lead and keep using it: it needs testing or replacing.
Why testing matters for Orange workplaces
Where Orange works
At the 2021 Census, hospitals (7.0%) and gold ore mining (4.8%) were the top industries Orange residents worked in. Workshops, kitchens, outdoor crews and dusty sites all fall within SafeWork NSW's examples of hostile operating environments.
Heater season
Orange sits about 860 metres above sea level and frosts are frequent, so plug-in heaters come out in offices, shops and sheds every winter. A heater that's spent summer in a storeroom is worth a look before it's switched on.
Storm season
Orange City Council says severe storms are most likely from October to March. Leads and tools left outside, or gear in a shed that took water, should be checked before use.
The network isn't part of this
If the whole site loses power, that's Essential Energy on 13 20 80. Test and tag covers the gear that plugs in, not the supply.
How often SafeWork NSW says to test
| Where the gear is used | SafeWork NSW's guide | |
|---|---|---|
| Hostile environments in general | At least once every 12 months | |
| Manufacturing, workshops, commercial cleaning | At least every six months | |
| Construction and demolition sites | At least every three months | |
| Hire equipment | At the start of each hire, and every three months | |
| Brand-new equipment | No test needed before first use, unless there's reason to think it's unsafe |
Who can do the testing in NSW
SafeWork NSW says testing must be done by a competent person. That can be a licensed or registered electrician, or someone who has finished a structured training course and been deemed competent in pass-fail appliance testing. For indicative intervals, it points to the standard AS/NZS 3760:2010.
The practical difference shows up when something fails. A trained tester can tag an item out. A licensed electrician can also fix the damaged power point or circuit that's been cooking your leads, and in NSW that repair comes with a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work.
The records you need to keep
For gear in hostile environments, keep the test record until the item is next tested. It needs the tester's name, the test date, the outcome and when the next test is due. SafeWork NSW says the tag on the item can be that record.
Safety switches are on the list too. Whoever manages or controls the workplace must take reasonable steps to have RCDs (safety switches that cut power when current leaks) tested regularly by a competent person, both portable and fixed ones. Ask for those results in writing as part of the same visit.
Worth asking before you book in Orange
- Which of our areas would you treat as a hostile environment, and what interval would you set for each?
- Will you test our safety switches, and record the results separately?
- Can you repair faulty power points or circuits on the same visit?
- Can you test the winter heaters before they come out of storage?
What we'd do for an Orange business
Book test and tag in autumn, before the heaters come out, and ask for every area to be given its own interval in writing. Have an electrician do it rather than a tester only, so the faulty outlet behind a scorched lead gets fixed that day instead of tagged and forgotten.
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.