Someone got a shock from a tool or appliance?
If they're hurt, call 000. Don't touch them while they might still be in contact with the power: switch off at the wall or the main switch first, if you can do that safely. Take the item out of use and keep it aside for the electrician. In Western Australia, Western Power says every electric shock on its network must be reported to it, even a tingle.
What gets tested, and what doesn't
Test and tag covers things with a plug: extension leads, power boards, kettles, microwaves, the staff room fridge, computer power leads, chargers and power tools. Gear that moves between sites, or gets thrown in the back of a ute, tends to take the hardest knocks.
It doesn't cover the building's own wiring. Under the NSW definition, items plugged into a power point aren't part of the electrical installation, so the power points, switchboard and fixed wiring are a separate job. An electrical safety inspection looks at those.
What happens on the day
Gather the gear
Have everything that plugs in where the tester can reach it, including items in drawers, vans and storerooms. Anything missed doesn't get a tag.
A look before the test
Each lead, plug and case is checked for cuts, crushing, loose plugs and heat marks before any meter goes near it.
The electrical test
The item is plugged into a portable appliance tester, which checks things like whether the earth connection is sound and whether current is leaking where it shouldn't.
Tag, or take out of use
Items that pass get a tag showing when they were tested and by whom. Items that fail come out of use, and the tester should tell you why.
The record
You get a written list of everything tested, the result and when it's due to be checked again. Keep it where you can find it.
Take it out of use now if you see this
- A cut, crushed or taped-up lead, or bare wire showing. Don't touch the wire.
- Scorch marks, melting or a burning smell around a plug or power board.
- A plug that sits loose in the socket, or comes out warm.
- Power boards plugged into other power boards. Ausgrid's advice is one double adaptor per power point at most, and never an overloaded board.
- Anything that trips the safety switch when it's turned on.
- A cracked case on a tool, charger or appliance.
How often, and who can do it
There isn't one answer we can stand behind for every state and workplace, so we won't give you a number. Testing frequency depends on where the gear is used and how hard it works: a building site is far tougher on leads than an office.
Your state's work health and safety regulator and your industry body are the places to check. A good tester will also suggest a schedule for your site, explain why, and put the next due date on each tag.
We haven't confirmed who's allowed to do the testing in each state, so check that with your regulator too. What we can say is that an electrician can fix the faults testing turns up in the building, like a damaged power point, and that repair is licensed electrical work in every state.
What you get at the end
Testing portable gear leaves the building's wiring alone, so a compliance certificate isn't what this visit produces. Expect a tag on every item and a written record of the results.
If the visit finds a fault in the wiring and the electrician repairs it, that repair comes with your state's certificate: in New South Wales a CCEW, lodged within 7 days; in Victoria a Certificate of Electrical Safety; in Queensland a certificate of testing and compliance.
Between tests: what your team can do
You can
- Look over leads and plugs before use, and pull anything damaged out of service.
- Keep a simple list of what you own, so nothing is missed on test day.
- Press each safety switch's test button. Queensland law treats that as a test anyone can do without a licence.
- Label anything that tripped the safety switch and set it aside for the tester.
Leave to a licensed electrician
- Repairing or replacing a damaged power point, switch or circuit found during testing.
- Finding why a safety switch trips when a particular item is used.
- Adding power points so staff stop running leads across the floor.
- Any work inside the switchboard.
Questions to ask before you book
- What will you test, and do you test the safety switches as well?
- What goes on each tag, and what's in the written record you leave?
- What happens to items that fail: tagged out, repaired or replaced on the spot?
- How often would you suggest testing our gear, and why?
- Can you work around our opening hours?
- What licence and insurance do you hold, and can I see the certificate of currency?
Getting matched
Not every electrician offers test and tag. Tell us roughly how much gear you have, where it lives and what times suit, and we'll match you with a licence-checked local electrician who does it regularly and can fix what they find.
What we'd tell any business owner
Book test and tag with an electrician rather than someone who can only test, so faults in the power points and wiring can be fixed on the same visit. Keep the written record somewhere you'll find it, and check your own leads between visits. The cut cord in the back of the van won't wait for the next due date.
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.