Test and tag in Victoria: what the law actually requires.

Test and tag comes up regularly in conversations with business owners in Ringwood, Nunawading and Box Hill. Most already know they're supposed to do it. What's less clear is exactly what the law requires: which equipment needs testing, how often, who can do it, and what records you need to keep.

This post covers the requirements under AS/NZS 3760 and Victoria's OHS Regulations in straightforward terms.

The legal basis

In Victoria, the obligation sits in two places.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 places a general duty on employers to provide and maintain a safe working environment, including safe plant and equipment. The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 give that duty teeth. They require employers to manage risks associated with electrical hazards, and inspection and testing in accordance with AS/NZS 3760 is the accepted way of demonstrating that portable equipment is safe.

AS/NZS 3760 is the standard: In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment. It covers portable electrical equipment (and some cord-connected equipment) that is used in workplaces. It sets out the inspection and testing procedures, the intervals at which testing must occur, and what the tag must record.

Put simply: if you run a business premises in Victoria, this applies to you. There are very few genuine exemptions.

What equipment gets tested

AS/NZS 3760 covers portable electrical appliances: equipment that can be moved during operation or between uses and connects via a plug to a socket outlet. This covers the vast majority of what's in any office, retail premises, workshop or construction site.

Practical examples:

• Power tools: drills, angle grinders, sanders, jigsaws
• Extension leads and power boards
• Portable fans, heaters and pedestal lamps
• Desktop computers, monitors, printers and photocopiers
• Portable air compressors
• Toasters, kettles and microwaves in the tearoom
• Portable test and measurement equipment

What's not covered by the standard: fixed wired equipment (hardwired to the switchboard), information technology equipment used only in low-risk environments (some IT gear has reduced testing requirements), and equipment supplied at extra-low voltage.

That said, most practical interpretations treat a broad range of equipment as covered, and WorkSafe Victoria inspectors don't give credit for creative interpretation. When in doubt, test it.

Test intervals: environment matters

This is where most confusion occurs. AS/NZS 3760 sets out different testing intervals depending on the environment the equipment is used in. The rougher the environment, the shorter the interval.

Construction and demolition sites: 3 months

Any portable electrical equipment used on a construction site must be tested every three months. This is the shortest interval in the standard, which reflects the hostile conditions (physical damage, moisture, dust, impact) that equipment faces on site. Extension leads on construction sites are the classic example.

Industrial and commercial workshops: 6 months

Workshop and manufacturing environments get a six-month interval for equipment that's subject to flexing, movement and general hard use: power tools, extension leads in use on the floor, portable welders. Equipment that stays in a fixed location and doesn't move or flex gets a longer interval.

Offices and retail premises: 5 years for most fixed equipment, 12 months for flexible leads

This is the interval that surprises most small business owners. For equipment in a low-risk environment (a Box Hill or Ringwood retail shop or professional office) the interval for most fixed, low-risk equipment is five years. Flexible extension leads and power boards in office environments typically get 12 months.

The key variable is the combination of environment (low-risk vs harsh) and equipment type (equipment that moves and flexes vs equipment that stays put). A printer on a desk in an accountant's office gets the five-year interval. An extension lead run across the floor that gets stepped on, rolled over and moved daily needs to be assessed more frequently.

Equipment used by the public

Equipment that's used by or accessible to the public (common in hospitality, healthcare and retail) gets shorter intervals because you can't rely on users handling it carefully. Your electrician or a competent person should classify equipment in this category when setting up a testing register.

What the tag records

Every piece of tested equipment must carry a durable tag that records:

1. The date of the test
2. The date the next test is due
3. Identification of the tester (name, registration number or employer)
4. A pass or fail result

The tag must be attached to the equipment (usually on the cable near the plug) or to an extension lead near the socket end. Tags come in different colours, which some businesses use to indicate different testing cycles or periods, but the actual colour coding isn't mandated by the standard.

If a piece of equipment fails testing, the tag must clearly indicate failure, and the equipment must be removed from service immediately. A failed-test tag on equipment that remains in service is a significant liability, both for WorkSafe compliance and for any insurance claim following an incident.

What a test actually involves

AS/NZS 3760 specifies two components: a visual inspection and an electrical test.

Visual inspection covers the plug, cable, cable entry into the plug and appliance, cable sheath condition, any signs of damage, modification, burns or contamination, and correct fusing if the plug contains a fuse. A lot of failures are caught at the visual inspection stage before the meter is even connected.

Electrical testing uses a purpose-built PAT (portable appliance tester) and covers:

• Earth continuity: verifies the protective earth path from the plug earth pin to the earth point in the appliance is intact and below the resistance limit (typically 1 ohm including the lead)
• Insulation resistance: applies a DC test voltage (typically 500V) between live conductors and earth with the switch closed, confirming insulation hasn't broken down
• Polarity: confirms active and neutral are correctly assigned at the plug

Some testers also perform an operating leakage current test. AS/NZS 3760 sets the pass/fail thresholds for each test type.

Record-keeping requirements

Under Victoria's OHS Regulations, you're required to keep records of electrical equipment inspections and tests. The records need to include:

• A description of the equipment (make, model, serial number, or a unique asset identifier you assign)
• The location or work area where the equipment is normally used
• The date of each inspection and test
• The result (pass or fail)
• The date the next inspection and test is due

Records need to be kept and made available to WorkSafe inspectors on request. For most small businesses, this means a spreadsheet or a database maintained by whoever does the testing. Some contractors provide this as a digital register.

What happens when equipment fails

Failed equipment must be:

1. Removed from service immediately: unplugged, tagged as failed, and isolated so it can't be plugged back in
2. Repaired by a competent person or discarded
3. Retested before being returned to service

A competent person for equipment repair usually means a licensed electrician or an authorised service centre, not a handyman or someone who watched a YouTube video on re-pinning plugs.

Document the failure, the action taken, and the retest result. If a piece of equipment is failing regularly, investigate why rather than just retesting it each time.

Who can do the testing

AS/NZS 3760 requires testing to be performed by a competent person: someone who has acquired the knowledge and skills to perform the work safely and correctly. For basic visual inspection and PAT testing of low-voltage equipment, this can be a trained non-electrician. For anything involving repair or where there's doubt about classification, use a licensed electrician.

In practice, most Victorian businesses use a licensed electrical contractor to run their test and tag programme. This gives you documented, defensible compliance records and shifts liability for the process.

Practical starting point for small businesses

If you're a retailer or office tenant in Nunawading, Box Hill or Ringwood and haven't had equipment tested recently, the process is:

1. Do a physical stocktake of all portable electrical equipment on the premises
2. Classify by environment and equipment type
3. Determine the correct test interval for each
4. Get the testing done by a competent person and establish a register
5. Set calendar reminders for the next due dates

It's not complicated. The risk of not doing it is a WorkSafe improvement notice, significant penalties under the OHS Act (indexed annually and now well into six figures for companies), and, more seriously, a preventable electrical incident on your premises.

If you need your equipment tested and tagged, or you want help setting up a test register and schedule for your business, get in touch with us about our test and tag service.