Do You Need to Be an Electrician to Do Testing and Tagging?

The term testing and tagging is commonly used, but do you know what it means, what’s involved and why it’s important? Who can conduct testing and tagging? Can a staff member do it for your business or does it need to be conducted by an electrician?

What is testing and tagging?

Testing and tagging is the process of testing portable electrical appliances (most commonly in a workplace) to make sure that they are safe to use. All appliances with a flexible cable, removable plug and a voltage exceeding 50V can be tested and tagged. Testing and tagging involves first visually checking the appliances to make sure there are no signs of damage such as discoloured plastic, frayed cords, or damaged plugs as most faulty appliances fail the initial visual inspection. But the visual inspection doesn’t find every fault, so every appliance is also subjected to an electrical test using a portable appliance (or PAT) tester. Once the testing is completed, the technician places a tag on the item which records when the item was tested, who tested it, what the results were and when the next test is due.

Why is testing and tagging important?

Testing and tagging is an important safety procedure for every business. It’s legally mandated in some industries including the construction, demolition and mining industries. It’s recommended for other industries.

It’s important to conduct testing and tagging of appliances in your business even if it isn’t mandated for your industry, because it is one measure that helps to ensure you are providing a safe working environment for your business.

As the business owner, you have a duty of care to everyone who enters your premises. And testing and tagging gives you peace of mind that the appliances in your business are safe to use.

Who can conduct testing and tagging?

Testing and tagging can’t be conducted by anyone. The process of testing and tagging is governed by the joint Australian New Zealand Safety Standard AS/NZS 3760.2010 which specifies that the person who conducts testing and tagging must be ‘a competent person’ who has the ‘necessary practical and theoretical skills, acquired through training, qualification, experience or a combination of these’.

And it’s important when you’re hiring a test and tag specialist to get someone who has the required training and knowledge because the standard also states that it’s your responsibility as the ‘responsible person’ in the business to ensure that you hire someone who is competent and can do the job.

That’s why it’s good to go with a name that you know. Jim’s Test & Tag have over 150 franchises across Australia so there’s more than likely one close to you. The technicians at Jim’s Test & Tag have all been trained to conduct testing and tagging and undergo continuous refreshers to make sure that they’re kept up to date with the latest testing techniques and technologies.

The team at Jim’s will give you a free quote for their test and tag service and while they’re there, they can also conduct an assessment of your fire protection equipment and can test your electrical circuits and safety switches. They are best for PAT testing.

Do you need to be an electrician to do testing and tagging?

According to the standard AS/NZS 3760.2010, you don’t need to be a registered or licenced electrician to conduct testing and tagging. But that stipulation can vary between states, so check what the legal requirement is for your state.

Can a staff member conduct testing and tagging for my business?

If they have received the appropriate training, then yes, a staff member can conduct testing and tagging in your business. However, unless testing and tagging needs to be done regularly in your business, it’s probably not the best use of your staff member’s time to make sure they’re trained, regularly updated, have the equipment and time to conduct the tests. For most businesses, it’s easier and more efficient to employ a reputable third-party contractor to perform the service. It comes back to your responsibility for safety – you need to ensure that the person doing the job is competent and has the right qualifications and training.

What about testing and tagging of new equipment?

New equipment is treated differently in the safety standards. It’s the supplier’s responsibility to make sure that the equipment is electrically safe. So new equipment doesn’t need to be tested, but it does need to be inspected for visual damage and it isn’t considered compliant if it is damaged physically in any way, no matter how small. The responsible person in a business can tag new equipment following a visual inspection but the tag must be in accordance with the specifications laid out in the standard and there must be no visual damage.