Regulations
Security Classification:UNCLASSIFIED
Dear Karen
Thank you for contacting the Customer Service Centre regarding test and tag requirements.
Under Chapter 4, Part 4.7 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011, (WHS Reg.), a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) at a workplace must ensure that electrical equipment is regularly inspected and tested by a competent person if the electrical equipment is:
A competent person for inspection and testing (commonly known as testing and tagging) is defined in clause 5 of the WHS Reg. as "a person who has acquired through training, qualification or experience, the knowledge and skills to carry out the task".
Further details on electrical equipment testing and tagging in hostile operating environments is contained in the Code of Practice - Managing electrical risks in the workplace (Part 3.2). This Code provides practical guidance on all matters regarding inspection and testing of electrical equipment including reference to the Australian Standard - AS/NZS.3760:2010 that contains recommended testing intervals in Table 4.
Note: In all cases for hostile operating environment workplaces, the electrical inspection and testing requirements defined in clause 150 of the WHS Reg. takes precedence over the Code of Practice and Australian Standard, whereby the competent person can determine an appropriate interval for "regular" inspection and testing. The Australian Standard - AS/NZS.3760:2010 is called up under the Code of Practice but is not called up under the WHS legislation, therefore it provides minimum reasonably practicable requirements only.
Low risk operating environment:
All other environments (but not construction and demolition environments) are referred to as low risk operating environments, and the following applies:
Clause 147 of the WHS Reg., covers general risk management in relation to electrical safety and states: a PCBU at a workplace must manage risks to health and safety associated with electrical risks at the workplace, in accordance with Part 3.1.
This means it is the PCBUs responsibility to ensure the safety of electrical risks associated with the design, construction, installation, protection, maintenance and testing of electrical equipment and electrical installations at a workplace.
However, for low risk operating environments there is no requirement under the WHS legislation (clause 150(1) of the WHS Reg.), for PCBUs to have this equipment tested and tagged, and nor is it a requirement for new and unused electrical equipment (clause 150(2) of the WHS Reg.). These issues are further clarified in the Code of Practice - Managing electrical risks in the workplace (Part 3.2).
However a PCBU still has the right to have their equipment tested if they require under their WHS legislation duty of care obligations. Further details on electrical equipment testing and tagging in low risk operating environments is contained in the Code of Practice - Managing electrical risks in the workplace (Part 3.2). This Code provides practical guidance on all matters regarding inspection and testing of electrical equipment including reference to the Australian Standard - AS/NZS.3760:2010 that contains recommended testing intervals in Table 4. (See copy of table below).
Table of recommended intervals or frequency of testing:
This is contained in Australian Standard - AS/NZS.3760:2010, Table 4, pages 20 and 21. This table of frequencies has been updated in September 2010 and now varies widely depending on the following seven working environments the items are used in:
If you would like to contact one of our Customer Service Consultants regarding this email, please ring 13 10 50 quoting INF2218719 as your reference number.
We are interested in your feedback about our services. You may be contacted by email in the next few weeks to complete a short survey. If you do not wish to participate in this survey, please email us at: [email protected] and we will ensure that you are not contacted.
Dear Karen
Thank you for contacting the Customer Service Centre regarding test and tag requirements.
Under Chapter 4, Part 4.7 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011, (WHS Reg.), a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) at a workplace must ensure that electrical equipment is regularly inspected and tested by a competent person if the electrical equipment is:
- supplied with electricity through an electrical socket outlet, and
- used in an environment in which the normal use of electrical equipment exposes the equipment to operating conditions that are likely to result in damage to the equipment or a reduction in its expected life span, including conditions that involve exposure to moisture, heat, vibration, mechanical damage, corrosive chemicals or dust (referred to as a hostile operating environment, See clause 150(1) of the WHS Reg.
A competent person for inspection and testing (commonly known as testing and tagging) is defined in clause 5 of the WHS Reg. as "a person who has acquired through training, qualification or experience, the knowledge and skills to carry out the task".
Further details on electrical equipment testing and tagging in hostile operating environments is contained in the Code of Practice - Managing electrical risks in the workplace (Part 3.2). This Code provides practical guidance on all matters regarding inspection and testing of electrical equipment including reference to the Australian Standard - AS/NZS.3760:2010 that contains recommended testing intervals in Table 4.
Note: In all cases for hostile operating environment workplaces, the electrical inspection and testing requirements defined in clause 150 of the WHS Reg. takes precedence over the Code of Practice and Australian Standard, whereby the competent person can determine an appropriate interval for "regular" inspection and testing. The Australian Standard - AS/NZS.3760:2010 is called up under the Code of Practice but is not called up under the WHS legislation, therefore it provides minimum reasonably practicable requirements only.
Low risk operating environment:
All other environments (but not construction and demolition environments) are referred to as low risk operating environments, and the following applies:
Clause 147 of the WHS Reg., covers general risk management in relation to electrical safety and states: a PCBU at a workplace must manage risks to health and safety associated with electrical risks at the workplace, in accordance with Part 3.1.
This means it is the PCBUs responsibility to ensure the safety of electrical risks associated with the design, construction, installation, protection, maintenance and testing of electrical equipment and electrical installations at a workplace.
However, for low risk operating environments there is no requirement under the WHS legislation (clause 150(1) of the WHS Reg.), for PCBUs to have this equipment tested and tagged, and nor is it a requirement for new and unused electrical equipment (clause 150(2) of the WHS Reg.). These issues are further clarified in the Code of Practice - Managing electrical risks in the workplace (Part 3.2).
However a PCBU still has the right to have their equipment tested if they require under their WHS legislation duty of care obligations. Further details on electrical equipment testing and tagging in low risk operating environments is contained in the Code of Practice - Managing electrical risks in the workplace (Part 3.2). This Code provides practical guidance on all matters regarding inspection and testing of electrical equipment including reference to the Australian Standard - AS/NZS.3760:2010 that contains recommended testing intervals in Table 4. (See copy of table below).
Table of recommended intervals or frequency of testing:
This is contained in Australian Standard - AS/NZS.3760:2010, Table 4, pages 20 and 21. This table of frequencies has been updated in September 2010 and now varies widely depending on the following seven working environments the items are used in:
- Type 1. Factories, workshops, places of manufacture, assembly, maintenance or fabrication - Interval = 6 months
- Type 2. Environment where the equipment or power supply is by flexible cord that is subject to flexing in normal use OR is open to abuse OR is in a hostile environment - Interval = 12 months
- Type 3. Environment where the equipment or power supply is by flexible cord that is NOT subject to flexing in normal use and is NOT open to abuse and is NOT in a hostile environment - Interval = 5 years
- Type 4. Residential type areas of: hotels, residential institutions, motels, boarding houses, halls, hostels, accommodation houses, and similar - Interval = 2 years
- Type 5. Equipment used for commercial cleaning - Interval = 6 months
- Type 6. Hire equipment - Inspection interval = Prior to hire, Test and tag interval = 3 months
- Type 7. Repaired, serviced and second-hand equipment - After repair or service that could affect electrical safety, or on reintroduction to service - refer to AS/NZS.5762:2011.
If you would like to contact one of our Customer Service Consultants regarding this email, please ring 13 10 50 quoting INF2218719 as your reference number.
We are interested in your feedback about our services. You may be contacted by email in the next few weeks to complete a short survey. If you do not wish to participate in this survey, please email us at: [email protected] and we will ensure that you are not contacted.
02 9449 8000